Verbal Messages

The official language spoken in Colombia is Spanish. However, there are about 11 varieties that can be found within the country: Caribeño (Costeño), Antioqueño (Paisa), Caucano-Chocoano, Andino (Pastuso), Tolimense (Opita), Cundiboyacense, Bogotano (Rolo), Llanero, Amazónico, Santandereano, and Isleño. 

Some common Spanish words and phrases include:

·      Hello – Hola [o-la]

·      Yes – Sí [si]

·      No – No [no]

·      Please – Por favor [poɾ fa-βoɾ]

·      Thank you – Gracias [gɾa-sjas]

·      Can you help me? – ¿Puedes ayudarme? [pwe-ðes a-ʝu-ðaɾ-me]

·      I don’t understand – No entiendo [no en-tjen-do]

·      I don’t speak Spanish – No hablo español [no a-βlo es-pa-ɲol]

·      My name is (youre name) – Me llamo (your name) [me ʝa-mo]

I added the international phonetic alphabet (IPA) spellings to help with pronunciations, but I would highly suggest finding the words with a translator, like Google Translate, to be able to listen to the pronunciation as well. Some words that I find particularly difficult to pronounce correctly are “ayudarme” and “llamo.” This is mainly because of the pronunciation of the “y” and “ll” in Spanish. To my ear, they are pronounced like a mix between the English “y” and “j.” And the level of “j” or “y” sound differs from word to word and region to region. From what I have heard in Colombia as a whole, there is a lot more “j” put into the pronunciation than in many other Spanish speaking Latin American countries.

Knowing simple words and phrases in the local language is very helpful if you plan on traveling there. While complex conversation will most likely be impossible, knowing key phrases will help you communicate with locals. 

Now, I know it sounds weird for me to say complex conversation is “most likely” impossible. As the world has become more globalized, one result is the emersion of English as a lingua franca. The basic idea is when there is not a shared native language between people, English is often used as the common language. So, it is a wrong assumption that everyone in Colombia can speak English, but some have studied it and speak it as a second language and lingua franca.

Another tool one can use to communicate with locals are translators. Some common examples include Google Translate or the Apple Translate app. These tools do have their quirks, however. When playing around with the translators, I translated a paragraph of text from Spanish into English, and it was not perfect. Translators are not good at translating most slang and can mess up grammar quickly. So, translator apps can be helpful, but not always accurate.

This is a good example of the phrase “language influences our view of reality.” The way we view the world is affected by the language we speak and use. Word order, idioms, and slang are lenses that we look through. I have heard that when you learn another language, you are also learning about a new you. Because of the difference in topic emphasis, word use, and grammar order, you learn about a different way of looking at the world. And, often, also learn about how our native language influences our view of reality.