Bogotá: Spanish travel guide
A high, green city of museums, coffee and street art. Colombians are known for very polite, clear Spanish.
- MoneyColombian peso (COP)
- TippingA voluntary 10% is suggested on the bill
- Emergency123
- VoiceLatin American Spanish
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Colombian greetings
- ¿Qué más?What's up? / How's it going?Say it: keh MAHS
- ¿Bien o qué?All good?Say it: byehn oh KEH
- A la ordenAt your service / Can I help you?Say it: ah lah OHR-dehnWhat shopkeepers and waiters say.
- Con mucho gustoYou're welcome (with pleasure)Say it: kohn MOO-choh GOOS-toh
- ¿Me regala un tinto, por favor?Could I have a black coffee, please?Say it: meh reh-GAH-lah oon TEEN-toh, pohr fah-VOHRRegalar (to give) is the polite Colombian way to order.
Money and tipping
- Prices have lots of zeros. People say mil for thousand: veinte mil is 20,000 pesos.
- Restaurants usually suggest a 10% tip (propina voluntaria). By law it's optional: the staff should ask whether to include it, and you can say yes, no or change it.
- Carry small notes for taxis and shops.
Five Colombian words
- bacanocool, greatSay it: bah-KAH-noh
- chéveregreatSay it: CHEH-beh-reh
- parcebuddy (casual)Say it: PAHR-seh
- el tintosmall black coffeeSay it: ehl TEEN-toh
- ¡Qué pena!I'm sorry / How embarrassing!Say it: keh PEH-nah
Good to know
- Bogotá is 2,640 m (8,660 ft) up. Bring a jacket: it's cool all year, with showers most afternoons.
- On Sundays, main roads close to cars for the Ciclovía, and the city cycles.
- Colombians use usted a lot, even with family. You can't go wrong using it.
Keep learning
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