#separator:tab
#html:false
#columns:Front Back
parce buddy, mate (very common, esp. Medellín/Antioquia, now national)
parcero / parcera buddy, close friend (m/f)
llave / llavecita close friend, best mate (esp. Cali)
pana friend, pal
man guy, dude
mijo / mija affectionate address, lit. 'my son/daughter'
cucho / cucha older person, parent (affectionate)
pelado / pelada kid, young person
teso / tesa expert, someone very good at something
vieja / viejo affectionate address to a woman/man (lit. old woman/man)
chévere cool, great (shared with Venezuela, Ecuador)
bacano / bacana cool, great, easygoing
chimba awesome / rubbish depending on context (versatile slang)
qué chimba how cool! (exclamation)
nota / qué nota great, cool / how great!
tenaz tough, hardcore, impressive (colloquial sense)
berraco / berraca tough, determined, impressive person
qué berraquera how impressive! what a big deal!
duro / dura skilled, tough (lit. hard)
arrecho / arrecha fired up, intense (context-sensitive; vulgar in some countries)
vaina thing, stuff (all-purpose filler noun)
qué vaina what a mess / what a pain
guaro aguardiente, the national anise liquor
aguardiente anise-flavored Colombian liquor
tinto black coffee (small cup, no milk)
guayabo hangover
enguayabado / enguayabada hungover
camello job, hard work (lit. camel)
camellar to work hard
parchar to hang out, to chill
el parche the crew, the hangout group/spot
rumbear to party, to go out dancing
la rumba the party, night out
la farra the party, night out
plata money
chino / china child, kid (regional; from Chibcha per encyclopedic sources)
dar papaya to expose oneself to unnecessary risk
no dar papaya don't make yourself an easy target
estar en la olla to be broke / in trouble (lit. to be in the pot)
a la orden at your service / you're welcome (used constantly in shops)
¿qué más? what's up? (greeting)
¿qué hubo? / quiubo what's up? (contracted greeting)
¿bien o qué? you good? how's it going?
el combo the group, the crew
la vuelta the errand, the task, the deal
hacer la vuelta to run an errand, sort something out
cuadrar to arrange, set up a plan or meeting
el cuento the story, the situation
fresco / fresca relax, don't worry, chill out
estar mamado / mamada to be exhausted, fed up
mamar gallo to mess around, kid someone, waste time
vacilar to joke around, tease, flirt
montar to tease, mock someone (colloquial)
tumbar to rip off, cheat someone (colloquial)
sapo / sapa snitch, gossip (lit. toad)
echar los perros to flirt with someone
estar prendido / prendida to be tipsy, buzzed
juepucha damn! shoot! (mild oath)
qué pena how embarrassing / sorry to bother you (Colombian sense differs from standard)
qué pena con usted sorry to bother you (polite apology)
hágale go for it! sure! let's do it!
no joda no way! come on! (mild vulgar intensifier)
bobo / boba silly, dumb (mild)
pandebono cheese bread from Valle del Cauca
buñuelo fried cheese ball, Christmas snack
arepa corn cake, Colombian staple food
ajiaco iconic Bogotá potato-and-chicken soup
bandeja paisa large traditional Antioquian mixed platter
chontaduro peach-palm fruit common in Cali
canelazo hot spiced aguardiente drink
empanada fried stuffed pastry, common snack
lulada cold lulo-fruit drink typical of Cali
chicha traditional fermented corn drink
changua Bogotá milk-and-egg breakfast soup
sancocho traditional Colombian stew
gaseosa soda, soft drink (general Colombian usage)
sumercé deferential/affectionate 'you' (Cundinamarca, Boyacá)
vos familiar 'you' (voseo; Paisa region, Valle del Cauca)
usted (ustedeo) 'you' used even among close friends/family in many regions
cachaco / cachaca person from Bogotá (regional nickname)
rolo / rola person from Bogotá (regional nickname)
paisa person from Antioquia / the coffee region
costeño / costeña person from the Caribbean or Pacific coast
llanero / llanera person from the Eastern Plains (Llanos)
valluno / valluna person from Valle del Cauca (Cali)
pastuso / pastusa person from Nariño (Pasto)
opita person from Tolima or Huila
santandereano / santandereana person from Santander
gonorrea (¡cuidado, vulgar!) very strong insult/slang intensifier — vocabulary for recognition only, not polite use
ñero / ñera streetwise, from a rough neighborhood (context-dependent)
¡uy! wow! oh! (surprise)
¡qué pecado! what a shame! poor thing! (lit. what a sin)
hasta ahorita see you in a bit
ahorita in a little while / right now (diminutive of ahora, flexible timing)
gatico little cat (regional -ico diminutive after /t/)
momentico just a little moment (regional diminutive)
de pronto maybe, perhaps (Colombian usage)
¿sí o qué? isn't that right? / well then? (tag question)
¿cómo así? what do you mean? how come?
berraquera toughness, grit, impressive feat
la olla rough/dangerous neighborhood (colloquial) or 'the pot'
el bus / la buseta the bus / small city bus
la tienda the corner store, small neighborhood shop
el man / la vieja (slang couple) the guy / the woman (very colloquial)
caer bien to like someone, get along well
mono / mona blond(e) or light-skinned person (Colombian usage; not 'monkey')
gomelo / gomela posh, preppy person (slang)
cambuche makeshift shelter, shanty (regional)
cantaleta nagging, scolding
chuzo street food stall / grilled skewer (regional)
pola beer (colloquial)
levantar to pick someone up (romantically, colloquial)
verraquera toughness / impressive feat (variant spelling)
mecato snacks, junk food (regional)
polas y picadas beer and appetizers (social gathering)
carrito little car / any small vehicle (diminutive)
man'itico just a tiny bit (extended diminutive)
hola hello
buenos días good morning
buenas tardes good afternoon
buenas noches good evening / good night
¿cómo estás? how are you? (informal)
¿cómo está usted? how are you? (formal)
bien, gracias fine, thanks
mal bad, unwell
más o menos so-so
gracias thank you
muchas gracias thank you very much
de nada you're welcome
por favor please
perdón sorry, excuse me
lo siento I'm sorry
con permiso excuse me (to pass by)
sí yes
no no
adiós goodbye
hasta luego see you later
hasta mañana see you tomorrow
chao bye (informal)
¿cómo te llamas? what's your name? (informal)
me llamo... my name is...
mucho gusto nice to meet you
igualmente likewise
yo I
tú you (informal singular)
él he
ella she
nosotros / nosotras we
ustedes you all (plural, general in Colombia)
ellos / ellas they
usted you (formal, and widely used informally in Colombia)
mi / mis my
tu / tus your (informal)
su / sus his/her/your (formal)/their
hombre man
mujer woman
niño / niña boy / girl
bebé baby
madre / mamá mother / mom
padre / papá father / dad
hijo / hija son / daughter
hermano / hermana brother / sister
abuelo / abuela grandfather / grandmother
tío / tía uncle / aunt
primo / prima cousin
esposo / esposa husband / wife
novio / novia boyfriend / girlfriend
amigo / amiga friend
familia family
agua water
comer to eat
beber / tomar to drink
pan bread
arroz rice
frijoles beans
papa potato
plátano plantain / banana
fruta fruit
verdura vegetable
carne meat
pollo chicken
pescado fish (as food)
huevo egg
queso cheese
leche milk
café coffee
azúcar sugar
sal salt
desayuno breakfast
almuerzo lunch
cena dinner
uno one
dos two
tres three
cuatro four
cinco five
seis six
siete seven
ocho eight
nueve nine
diez ten
once eleven
doce twelve
veinte twenty
treinta thirty
cuarenta forty
cincuenta fifty
cien one hundred
mil one thousand
primero first
segundo second
tercero third
ir to go
venir to come
ser to be (identity/traits)
estar to be (state/location)
tener to have
hacer to do / to make
decir to say / to tell
ver to see
oír to hear
hablar to speak
saber to know (a fact)
conocer to know (a person/place)
querer to want / to love
poder to be able to / can
dormir to sleep
leer to read
escribir to write
trabajar to work
estudiar to study
vivir to live
caminar to walk
correr to run
comprar to buy
vender to sell
pagar to pay
necesitar to need
ayudar to help
entender to understand
pensar to think
sentir to feel
llegar to arrive
salir to leave / to go out
volver / regresar to return
empezar / comenzar to begin
terminar / acabar to finish
buscar to look for
encontrar to find
dar to give
tomar to take / to drink
llevar to carry / to take (something/someone)
traer to bring
poner to put
bueno / buena good
malo / mala bad
grande big
pequeño / chiquito small, little
caliente hot
frío / fría cold
bonito / bonita pretty
feo / fea ugly
rápido / rápida fast
lento / despacio slow / slowly
nuevo / nueva new
viejo / vieja old
fácil easy
difícil difficult
feliz happy
triste sad
cansado / cansada tired
ocupado / ocupada busy
importante important
interesante interesting
¿qué? what?
¿quién? who?
¿dónde? where?
¿cuándo? when?
¿cómo? how?
¿cuánto / cuánta? how much?
¿cuántos / cuántas? how many?
¿por qué? why?
¿cuál? which?
y and
o or
con with
sin without
pero but
porque because
también also
tampoco neither, not either
siempre always
nunca never
a veces sometimes
hoy today
mañana tomorrow / morning
ayer yesterday
ahora now
después after, later
antes before
tarde late / afternoon
temprano early
noche night
semana week
mes month
año year
lunes Monday
martes Tuesday
miércoles Wednesday
jueves Thursday
viernes Friday
sábado Saturday
domingo Sunday
casa house
apartamento apartment
puerta door
ventana window
mesa table
silla chair
cama bed
cocina kitchen
baño bathroom
calle street
ciudad city
país country
mundo world
escuela / colegio school
universidad university
trabajo work, job
dinero money
tiempo time / weather
día day
carro / coche car
bus / autobús bus
avión airplane
tren train
aeropuerto airport
cabeza head
mano hand
pie foot
ojo eye
boca mouth
corazón heart
cuerpo body
rojo / roja red
azul blue
verde green
amarillo / amarilla yellow
negro / negra black
blanco / blanca white
morado / morada purple
naranja orange (color/fruit)
uno mismo oneself
perro dog
gato cat
pájaro bird
vaca cow
caballo horse
cerdo pig
mar sea
río river
montaña mountain
cielo sky
sol sun
luna moon
lluvia rain
viento wind
frío (clima) cold (weather)
calor heat
libro book
papel paper
lápiz pencil
teléfono telephone
computador / computadora computer
internet internet
música music
película movie
fiesta party
baile dance
canción song
cuidado careful, be careful
peligro danger
seguro / segura safe, sure
médico / doctor doctor
hospital hospital
policía police
iglesia church
mercado market
tienda store, shop
restaurante restaurant
plaza town square
parque park
playa beach
montañas (Andes) mountains (the Andes, defining Colombian geography)
café (bebida y cultivo) coffee (drink and crop, key to Colombian identity)
vallenato traditional Colombian folk music genre
cumbia traditional Colombian dance/music genre
salsa popular dance/music genre strong in Cali
champeta Afro-Colombian dance/music genre from the Caribbean coast