Ultimate Guide to Spanish Travel Phrases for Colombia

Updated: May 2026 · by Frank Spitzer

Ultimate Guide to Spanish Travel Phrases for Colombia

Basic Spanish opens up Colombia dramatically. This guide covers essential travel phrases for restaurants, hotels, transport, emergencies, and social situations.

I am Frank Spitzer, founder of Pelecanus Travel (RNT 51402, IAGTO member, Bogotá-based since 2017). We arrange Spanish-immersion stays in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena. Send me a message to start planning.

Spanish for Travelers 101: Basic Spanish Phrases

• Hello: Hola
• Good morning: Buenos días
• Good afternoon: Buenas tardes
• Good evening/night: Buenas noches
• How are you? (informal): ¿Cómo estás?
• How are you? (formal): ¿Cómo está usted?
• Fine, thank you: Bien, gracias
• What is your name? (informal): ¿Cómo te llamas?
• What is your name? (formal): ¿Cómo se llama?
• My name is ___: Me llamo ___
• Please: Por favor
• Thank you: Gracias
• You’re welcome: De nada
• Excuse me/Sorry: Disculpe/Perdone
• Yes: Sí
• No: No
• Maybe: Quizás
• I don’t understand: No entiendo
• I don’t know: No sé
• Could you help me? (informal): ¿Puedes ayudarme?
• Could you help me? (formal): ¿Puede ayudarme?
• I speak a little Spanish: Hablo un poco de español
• Do you speak English? (informal): ¿Hablas inglés?
• Do you speak English? (formal): ¿Habla inglés?
• Goodbye: Adiós, chao
• See you later: Hasta luego
• I’m sorry: Lo siento
• Bless you (after someone sneezes): Salud
• I’m from ___: Soy de ___
• I would like ___: Quisiera ___
• How much does it cost?: ¿Cuánto cuesta?
• The bill, please: La cuenta, por favor
• Where is the bathroom?: ¿Dónde está el baño?
• I need ___: Necesito ___

Spanish Numbers (and how to pronounce them)

• 0: cero (sey-roh)
• 1: uno (oo-no)
• 2: dos (dohs)
• 3: tres (trehs)
• 4: cuatro (koo-ah-troh)
• 5: cinco (seen-coh)
• 6: seis (say-s)
• 7: siete (see-eh-teh)
• 8: ocho (oh-choh)
• 9: nueve (noo-eh-veh)
• 10: diez (dee-ehs)
• 11: once (on-seh)
• 12: doce (doh-seh)
• 13: trece (treh-seh)
• 14: catorce (ka-tohr-seh)
• 15: quince (keen-seh)
• 16: dieciséis (dee-eh-see-say-s)
• 17: diecisiete (dee-eh-see-see-eh-teh)
• 18: dieciocho (dee-eh-see-oh-choh)
• 19: diecinueve (dee-eh-see-noo-eh-veh)
• 20: veinte (bey-n-teh)
• 21: veintiuno (bey-n-tee-oo-no)
• 22: veintidós (bey-n-tee-dohs)
• 30: treinta (trey-n-tah)
• 31: treinta y uno (trey-n-tah ee oo-noh)
• 32: treinta y dos (trey-n-tah ee dohs)
• 40: cuarenta (koo-ah-reh-n-tah)
• 50: cincuenta (seen-koo-en-tah)
• 60: sesenta (seh-sehn-tah)
• 70: setenta (seh-tehn-tah)
• 80: ochenta (oh-chen-tah)
• 90: noventa (noh-vehn-tah)
• 100: cien (see-ehn)
• 101: ciento uno (see-ehn-toh oo-noh)
• 200: doscientos (dohs-see-ehn-tohs)
• 300: trescientos (trehs-see-ehn-tohs)
• 1000: mil (meel)
• 2000: dos mil (dohs meel)
• 1 000 000: un millón (oon mee-yohn)

Directions and Transportation Spanish Phrases

• Where is ___?: ¿Dónde está ___?
• How do I get to ___?: ¿Cómo llego a ___?
• Is it far?: ¿Está lejos?
• Map: Mapa
• Left: Izquierda
• Right: Derecha
• Straight ahead: Derecho
• Traffic light: Semáforo
• Street: Calle
• Road/Avenue: Carretera/Avenida
• Highway: Autopista
• Bus: Autobús
• Bus station: Estación de autobuses
• Train: Tren
• Train station: Estación de tren
• Airport: Aeropuerto
• Subway, Underground: Metro
• Taxi: Taxi
• Bicycle: Bicicleta
• Car: Coche
• Parking: Aparcamiento, Parqueadero
• Ticket: Boleto, tiquete

Dining and Food Spanish Phrases

• Breakfast: Desayuno
• Lunch: Almuerzo
• Dinner: Cena
• Vegetarian: Vegetariano/a
• Vegan: Vegano/a
• Gluten-free: Sin gluten
• Nut allergy: Alergia a los frutos secos
• Dairy: Lácteos
• Bread: Pan
• Beer: Cerveza
• Wine: Vino
• Water: Agua
• Coffee: Café
• Tea: Té
• Juice: Jugo
• Menu: Menú
• Appetizer: Entrada
• Main course: Plato fuerte
• Dessert: Postre
• Tip (gratuity): Propina
• Cheers! (toast): ¡Salud!
• I’m full: Estoy lleno/a
• Delicious: Delicioso/a
• More: Más
• Less: Menos
• Spicy: Picante
• Sweet: Dulce
• Salty: Salado
• Bitter: Amargo
• Sour: Ácido
• Hot (temperature): Caliente
• Cold: Frío
• Ice: Hielo
• Fruit: Fruta
• Vegetables: Verduras
• Meat: Carne
• Chicken: Pollo
• Fish: Pescado
• Seafood: Mariscos
• Pork: Cerdo
• Beef: Res
• Lamb: Cordero
• Rice: Arroz
• Pasta: Pasta
• Soup: Sopa
• Salad: Ensalada
• Cheese: Queso
• Eggs: Huevos
• Fried: Frito/a
• Grilled: A la parrilla
• Baked: Al horno
• Boiled: Hervido/a
• Roasted: Asado/a
• To order food: Pedir comida

Ordering and Requests

• Can I see the menu, please?: ¿Puedo ver el menú, por favor?
• I would like to order now: Me gustaría pedir ahora
• Can I have ___?: ¿Me da ___?
• I would like ___: Quisiera ___
• Can I have the bill, please?: ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
• Is service included?: ¿Está incluido el servicio?
• We would like to split the bill: Nos gustaría dividir la cuenta
• Can I have this to go?: ¿Puede empacar esto para llevar?
• Can I have a glass of water, please?: ¿Me da un vaso de agua, por favor?
• Can you recommend a dish?: ¿Puede recomendarme un plato?

Dietary Restrictions and Preferences

• I am a vegetarian: Soy vegetariano/a
• I am a vegan: Soy vegano/a
• I don’t eat dairy: No consumo lácteos
• I am allergic to nuts: Soy alérgico/a a los frutos secos
• I can’t eat gluten: No puedo comer gluten
• I don’t eat sugar: No consumo azúcar
• Do you have any vegetarian dishes?: ¿Tienen platos vegetarianos?
• Do you have vegan options?: ¿Tienen opciones veganas?
• Is this dish made with animal products?: ¿Este plato está hecho con productos animales?
• Can you make this dish without butter/milk/eggs?: ¿Puede hacer este plato sin mantequilla/leche/huevos?
• I would like a salad without cheese, please: Quisiera una ensalada sin queso, por favor
• Does this contain nuts/gluten/dairy?: ¿Esto contiene frutos secos/gluten/lácteos?
• I have the celiac disease and must have a gluten-free diet: Tengo la enfermedad celíaca y debo seguir una dieta sin gluten

Drinks

• A bottle of mineral water, please: Una botella de agua mineral, por favor
• A glass of red/white wine, please: Una copa de vino tinto/blanco, por favor
• A beer, please: Una cerveza, por favor
• A coffee with milk/without milk, please: Un café con leche/sin leche, por favor
• A tea with lemon/with milk, please: Un té con limón/con leche, por favor

Specific Food Items and Preparation

• Grilled chicken: Pollo a la parrilla
• Steamed vegetables: Verduras al vapor
• Baked fish: Pescado al horno
• Salad with olive oil and vinegar: Ensalada con aceite de oliva y vinagre
• Fruit salad: Ensalada de frutas
• Whole grain bread: Pan integral
• Brown rice: Arroz integral
• A bowl of oatmeal: Un tazón de avena

Shopping Spanish Phrases

• How much is this?: ¿Cuánto vale esto?
• Can I pay with a credit card?: ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
• Discount: Descuento
• Store/Shop: Tienda
• Market: Mercado
• Size: Tamaño
• Large: Grande
• Medium: Mediano
• Small: Pequeño
• Open: Abierto
• Closed: Cerrado
• Hours: Horario
• Sale: Oferta
• Fitting room: Probador, vestidor
• Cash: Efectivo
• Change (money): Cambio
• Expensive: Caro/a
• Cheap: Barato/a
• Price: Precio

Emergencies and Health Spanish Phrases

• Help!: ¡Ayuda!
• Emergency: Emergencia
• Police: Policía
• Firefighters: Bomberos
• I need a doctor: Necesito un médico
• Pharmacy: Farmacia
• Hospital: Hospital
• Medicine: Medicina
• It hurts here: Me duele aquí
• Fever: Fiebre
• Accident: Accidente
• Insurance: Seguro
• Allergy: Alergia
• Allergic reaction: Reacción alérgica
• Toothache: Dolor de muelas
• Stomachache: Dolor de estómago
• Headache: Dolor de cabeza
• Cold: Resfriado
• Flu: Gripe
• Sunburn: Quemadura de sol

Accommodation Spanish Phrases

• Hotel: Hotel
• Hostel: Hostal
• Room: Habitación
• Reservation: Reserva
• Are there any vacancies?: ¿Hay habitaciones disponibles?
• I have a reservation: Tengo una reserva
• Key: Llave
• Air conditioning: Aire acondicionado
• Heating: Calefacción
• Comfortable: Cómodo/a
• Pillow: Almohada
• Blanket: Manta, cobija
• Towel: Toalla
• Shower: Ducha
• Hot water: Agua caliente
• To check-in: Hacer el check-in
• To check-out: Hacer el check-out

Socializing Spanish Phrases (Making Friends and Flirting in Spanish 101)

• What’s up? (informal): ¿Qué tal?
• Pleased to meet you: Mucho gusto
• What do you like to do for fun?: ¿Qué te gusta hacer para divertirte?
• Can I have your phone number?: ¿Me das tu número de teléfono?
• Let’s go out: Salgamos
• I am single/married: Estoy soltero/a / casado/a
• Cheers! (when toasting): ¡Salud!
• Do you want to dance?: ¿Quieres bailar?
• I like you: Me gustas
• I had a great time: Lo pasé muy bien
• Would you like to go out again?: ¿Te gustaría salir otra vez?

More about Colombian Culture

• Colombia’s 45 Best & Biggest Festivals in Detail
• The 7 Most Terrifying Legends of Colombia
• 31 Colombian Dishes and Food From All Regions You Should Try
• Beyond Hola: Insider’s Guide to Colombian Customs

Plan Your Colombia Trip with Pelecanus

We design Spanish-immersion stays in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena. RNT 51402 · IAGTO · Bogotá-based since 2017.

Plan My Trip WhatsApp Frank

FAQ

Is this relevant for first-time Colombia visitors?

Yes — basic preparation and awareness makes the trip safer, more enjoyable and culturally respectful.

Do I need to know Spanish?

Basic Spanish helps significantly in rural areas. Major cities have English-speaking staff in tourism businesses.

How much does it cost?

Costs vary widely. Premium experiences typically run $80-250/day. Mid-range $40-100/day. Budget $20-50/day. Colombia is significantly cheaper than European or North American equivalents.

When is the best season?

Dry seasons (December-March, June-August) are generally preferred. Specific timing varies by region.

Is Colombia safe for tourists?

Yes in tourist areas with standard precautions. Major cities have full police presence. Use Uber/DiDi for evening transport.

How do I plan a trip with Pelecanus?

Send a message via /en/about-us-contact/ or WhatsApp Frank at +57 321 214 6210.

References

• Colombia Travel Guide – Pelecanus

About the Author

I’m Frank Spitzer — Swiss-born, Bogotá-resident since 2015, founder of Pelecanus. From first inquiry through return flight, you deal with me personally — not a handoff team. I’ve driven across 30 of Colombia’s 32 departments to inspect roads, hotels, guides and routes myself, and documented it in 400+ first-hand videos on the COLOMBIAFRANK YouTube channel. Before a destination goes into a trip, I’ve been there, often more than once, and I’ve slept in the bed I’d recommend. That field scouting sits on top of a 20-year background in finance, an MBA from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, and a First-Lieutenant commission in the Swiss Army. I work in German, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, which is why luxury, golf, eco and wildlife travellers from Switzerland, Germany, the US and Latin America trust us to build trips that feel custom — not catalogued. Pelecanus operates under Colombian RNT 51402 and is an active IAGTO member.

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