Five Chévere Spanish Phrases to Help You Sound More Colombian
And what they mean in Colombian culture
I’ve learned how to make friends with street dogs in Colombia.
It only took a month, but now I feel safe to say the dogs on our block are now my amigos.
This is one of my personal milestones since coming to Neiva in March.
I’ll be spending the next month in Neiva with my girlfriend Yesi and her mom Piedad.
There have been many beautiful memories in Neiva. There also have been plenty of culture shock moments. As a gringo in Colombia, this is normal.
Slowly, I’m getting used to life in Colombia. One of the most noticeable adjustments here is the language. In Colombia, Spanish is the national language.
But it’s not the same Spanish I grew up listening to in the US, nor what you’ll hear in other countries like Spain.
I refer to the local language as “Colombian Spanish.” This is a foreign beast compared to other countries' versions of the language.
According to Wikipedia, 20 countries use Spanish as their de facto language.
If you’ve ever studied the language, you’ll discover that there isn’t one universal version of Spanish. Besides common phrases and…
