7 tips for perfect Colombian Spanish pronunciation - Learn More Than Spanish (2023)

FAQs

How do I learn Spanish Columbian? ›

But in reality, as a multicultural and diverse country, Colombia has a variety of regional dialects and accents and some are more difficult to understand than others; nonetheless, in general, our Spanish, with all its variations, is indeed one of the easiest ones to learn compared to others like Chilean, Argentinian or ...

To learn Colombian Spanish is one of the easiest to learn in Latin America and even if you're travelling onwards, this course gives you a good basis of the language so in no time at all you'll be speaking Spanish like a local.

The common verbal greeting is “Buenos dias” (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (good evening/night) depending on the time of day. The formal title to greet people is 'señor' (mister) for men and 'señora' (missus) for women.

If you want to find the best way to learn Spanish fast, immersion is the way to go. The most important thing that immersion provides is a constant stream of your target language. You will hear it all the time and read it everywhere.

Known as the “purest” form of Spanish, the Castilian accent specifically stems from Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla Leon, two autonomous communities in Spain; however, the Castilian accent is one that is spoken by those who live throughout Spain.

I quickly learned that using “vos” (referred to as voseo) instead of “tú” (also called tuteo) to say “you” is a common practice in many Latin American countries, including some parts of Colombia. In Colombia, voseo sits somewhere between “tú” and “usted” in formality, and can often be used with friends or family.

Two countries which are recognized for a clearly spoken, standardized accent are Colombia and Costa Rica; while there are indigenous languages spoken by some citizens, the primary language is Spanish.

More than 99.5% of Colombians speak Spanish. English has official status in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands. In addition to Spanish, there are several other languages spoken in Colombia. Sixty-five of these languages are Amerindian in nature.

What is the best Colombian accent? ›

Perhaps one of the best-known Colombian accents, paisa is heard throughout much of the coffee-growing region including Antioquia, Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas. One of its most distinctive features is the phrasal intonation that drags out the end of a sentence in a most peculiar tonal rise and fall.

Which Spanish is hardest to understand? Chile, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Andalusia (Spain) are a few of the places considered to speak more difficult Spanish.

1) “Lo siento,” – said in a low tone, accompanied by a wide mouth grimace and a look of fear. Literal meaning: I'm sorry/I regret it.

Take, for instance, the sentence “Ella es muy bonita”, which is a perfectly legitimate way to say “She is very beautiful”.

This is one of those made up words that has many meanings and a variety of uses. ¡Qué chimba! — That's cool or awesome.

The Caribbean Spanish dialect is one of the fastest dialects there is, with major similarities to the Andalusian dialect. In various modern Latin American music, especially the infamous reggaeton, there is a huge number of Puerto Rican Spanish dialect.

Based on US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) research, if you start out as a beginner and spend an average of one hour per day working actively on Spanish—such as with a teacher or conversation partner, as well as doing homework—then it can take 480 hours to reach conversational fluency.

It is possible to learn Spanish in 3 months, but it is true that to fully master the language to a native level, you will need more time. An intensive Spanish course covering all levels (from A1 to C2) consists of 62 weeks (about 15 months in total).

If you can manage to combine being surrounded by native Spanish speakers and by the Spanish language itself, you will be able to become fluent in 6 months (given that you will put efforts into study).

How can I learn Spanish fast by myself? ›

In general discussion, 'best' usually means an accent that is clearly spoken, with proper annunciation, and easily understood across the Spanish-speaking world. Some people claim that for these reasons, Colombia has the best Spanish accent. Others say that Peru and Ecuador have the best Spanish accent.

The language known today as Spanish is derived from a dialect of spoken Latin, which was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans after their occupation of the peninsula that started in the late 3rd century BC.

If your goal is Spanish fluency, aim for a C1 level in which you can fluently speak and express yourself. A C1 level does not mean you understand every word in the language but that you can handle most conversations and some tricky topics. The C2 level is complete mastery.

“Chévere” is a popular word for “cool” that is heard throughout Colombia, though it is not exclusive to that country. The population in neighbouring Venezuela, for instance, also enjoy using it a fair old amount.

In Guatemala, for example, you would only address a person using vos if you already know them and there's trust between you two. Otherwise, it might be seen as disrespectful. South American countries like Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina use vos constantly. It's common and widely accepted.

(Colombia, slang) gutsy person; someone with some balls.

If you're looking to learn the purest Spanish, Mexico is the place to go. It has all the grammar conventions from the Spaniards, but with the clear enunciation of indigenous languages.

One reason Colombian Spanish is considered to be the most pure, is because, compared to other Spanish-speaking countries, it has little influence from other countries or languages.

People pronounce almost all vowels and consonants in every word. That is why people say it is one of the “clearest”. There are many slangs and expressions, but once you learn them they are quite easy to use – and also quite fun. People find the accent itself very attractive.

What is the DNA of Colombians? ›

Public Library of Science (PLOS) genetic research determined that the average Colombian (of all races) has a mixture of European 62.5%, native Amerindian 27.4% , African 9.2% and East Asian 0.9%.

chimba (a very cool person or thing)

As a noun, "una chimba" is someone or something very cool. Example: Esa canción es una chimba (That song is very cool (literally "a very cool one"). Alternatively, the word "chimba" can be used as a synonym for "luck."

Women give kisses and men give handshakes. Most people know that kisses on the cheeks are a common greeting in most of Latin America. In Colombia, though, kisses on the cheeks are generally only used as a greeting between women or between women and men who are more than acquaintances.

Pronunciation

One of the greatest differences you might hear is regarding the pronunciation of the 'z' and 'c'. In Spain, 'z' is pronounced like 'th' in English. While in Colombia, 'z' is always pronounced like 's'. The same goes for a “c” when it comes before an “e” or an “i”.

Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.

Parce / parcero: In Colombia parce or parcero both mean 'mate', 'dude' or 'bro'. Parche: Translates literally to 'patch', but in Colombia refers to a group of friends, or the place where you usually hang out with your friends.

How do you say no thank you in Colombia? ›

No, gracias

This is the standard way of saying “no” when offered something. It's also the most polite option. No, gracias means “No, thank you” in Spanish, and it's used in the same way as in English.

In Colombia, friends and relatives frequently say “te quiero mucho” to one another.

Te extraño

This is the most common way to say “I miss you” in Latin American Spanish. The extended version of this phrase is te extraño a ti (literally, “I miss you to you”).

"Guapa” and “linda” are also ways of saying a woman is good looking. "Bonita" means, "pretty."

Borrowed by English, papi is a Spanish colloquialism for “daddy,” extended as a general term of endearment like “buddy” for a friend or “my man” for a romantic partner.

“Dar papaya” literally “to give papaya”, is a Colombian saying meaning “don't put yourself in a position where people can easily take advantage of you”.

The Colombian Spanish dialect is a variation of the Spanish language spoken in Colombia. For other Latin Americans, Colombian Spanish represents a superior form which is more refined, more classical than the ones they actually speak.

The simple answer to both questions is yes! We all understand each other and if you learn Spanish in Colombia you will be able to communicate with any other Spanish Speaker. However, keep in mind that the language varies greatly from one country to another.

Yes, you will learn a lot of vocabulary that will be useful to you if you're pursuing a career in crime - or law, we suppose! But the general language used in La Casa de Papel is very current, the kind you would hear every day in regular conversation or when speaking online with friends.

What does a lo bien mean in Colombia? ›

A lo bien. This is a popular Colombian phrase that expresses certainty and concern. I know it looks like it translates to “at the good” or something equally odd, but this phrase actually means, “seriously”, “truthfully” or “really”.

Colombian Spanish (Spanish: español colombiano) is a grouping of the varieties of Spanish spoken in Colombia. The term is of more geographical than linguistic relevance, since the dialects spoken in the various regions of Colombia are quite diverse.

Is it possible to learn Spanish by watching TV? Yes! And it's much easier now thanks to Netflix and other streaming services. In terms of learning Spanish and other languages by watching TV, we're living the dream right now.

Even with a busy schedule and a tight budget, learning and practicing Spanish on your own is entirely possible. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to enroll in multiple classes or spend hundreds on software to thoroughly learn a new language.

But first here are some of the ways that watching Netflix in Spanish can benefit your language learning regime. Watching movies and TV in Spanish a great way to immerse yourself and improve your fluency. It helps strengthen your vocabulary by introducing new words and using ones you may already know.

The bottom line

If you start out as a beginner and spend an average of 1 hour per day working on your Spanish, you should able to reach conversational fluency within 8 – 12 months. That translates to roughly 250 – 350 hours of time spent.

Chile, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Andalusia (Spain) are a few of the places considered to speak more difficult Spanish. If you end up learning in those places, fear not! It will make understanding Spanish from elsewhere easier.

Frankly, each scenario presented requires a different level of Spanish. According to best-selling author and podcaster, Tim Ferris, “To understand 95% of a language and become conversationally fluent may require months of applied learning; to reach the 98% threshold could require 10 years.”