Spanish Travel Survival Kit: What They Don’t Teach You Before You Go to Colombia

You Speak Spanish. You Land in Colombia. And You Understand 40% of What’s Happening.

This is a true story. I’m a Spanish teacher from Madrid. I landed in Medellín thinking I was prepared. I was not prepared. Colombian Spanish is fast, colorful, and absolutely its own universe. And I loved every confusing second of it.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need perfect Spanish to travel. You need survival Spanish. The real phrases. The ones that actually come out of your mouth when you’re lost, hungry, confused, or when someone says something at the speed of light and your brain quietly leaves the building.

This is what La Tribu / The Spanish Tribe gives you: practical, conversational Spanish for real life — not for textbook exercises. Subscribe for weekly survival Spanish:

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📧 Spanish Travel Survival Kit (Colombia)

A few years ago, I travelled to Colombia. Beautiful country. Very loud. Very colourful. Very “wow, I thought I knew Spanish.” But Colombian Spanish is its own thing. People speak fast. Very fast. They say parce instead of tío. They say ¿qué más? when they mean how are you? And they look at you very confused when you say vosotros.

So there I was in Medellín thinking: “I speak Spanish. I teach Spanish. And I understand approximately 40% of what is happening.”

And that’s the thing about travelling. You don’t need perfect Spanish. You need survival Spanish. You need to know what to say when: you don’t understand, you need a doctor, you want to order food, you’re lost, someone speaks too fast and your brain leaves the building.

SPANISH TRAVEL SURVIVAL KIT:

No entiendo. — I don’t understand.
¿Puede repetirlo más despacio? — Can you repeat it more slowly?
Necesito un médico. — I need a doctor.
¿Dónde está el baño? — Where is the bathroom?
Una mesa para dos, por favor. — A table for two, please.
Estoy perdido/a. — I’m lost.

No grammar trauma. No perfection. Just useful Spanish you can actually say.

Un saludo, Mónica

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Colombian Spanish: The Phrases That Will Save Your Life (and Your Dignity)

Colombia deserves its own survival guide. Here’s what you’ll actually hear on the streets of Bogotá, Medellín, or Cartagena:

• Parce / parcero = mate / buddy (Colombian slang for tío in Spain)
• ¿Qué más? = What’s up? / How are you? (not “what else?” — context is everything)
• Bacano/bacana = cool, great, awesome
• Vaina = thing / stuff (used for literally anything: “esa vaina” = “that thing”)
• Listo = ready / OK / got it — Colombians say this constantly
• Chevere = cool, nice
• Nota = excellent / amazing (“esa nota” = “that’s amazing”)

And the most important tip: when someone speaks too fast, say “¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?” — Can you speak more slowly, please? No one will judge you. Everyone will respect you for trying.

In La Tribu (The Spanish Tribe), we practice exactly this kind of real, conversational Spanish — the Spanish you actually need in the world, not the Spanish Señor García uses to ask for a cup of tea.

👉 Download the free Spanish travel booklets

👉 Join La Tribu — The Spanish Tribe

Besos, Mónica — your Pale Hispanic from MadriZ

— Monica Bernabe Perez