Blog · Expats & travel

Colombian slang you'll hear in your first week

By Paula · November 5, 2026 · 7 min read

You studied your Spanish, you land in Colombia, and the first person you meet says "¿Quiubo, parce, qué más?" None of that was in your textbook. Good news: a small set of everyday words covers most of what you will hear in your first week. Here they are, with what they really mean and when it is safe to use them.

Slang changes from city to city and from one generation to the next. The words below are understood across most of Colombia; where a word belongs to one region, it is marked.

Greetings: "what's up" the Colombian way

Colombians rarely stop at hola. A greeting usually comes with a question or two, and nobody expects a long answer.

¿Qué más? confuses many newcomers because it sounds like "what else?". In a greeting it simply means "how are you?", so answer bien, ¿y usted? and move on.

Parce started in Medellín and is now heard all over the country, especially among young people. Use it with friends, not with your landlord.

Yes, OK, let's go

You will say these ten times a day. They are the fastest way to sound less like a tourist.

Listo is the champion. A taxi driver says it when you give the address, a waiter says it when you order and your new colleague says it to close a conversation. If you only learn one word from this list, learn this one.

Cool, great, too bad

Berraco is a tricky one: es muy berraca para los números means she is great with numbers, but estoy berraco means you are angry. Context tells you which.

You will also hear ¡qué chimba! for "how awesome!". It is extremely common among friends, but its origin is vulgar, so keep it out of the office, away from older people and anywhere you would not swear in English.

Shops, cafés and the art of "regalar"

This is where most newcomers get their first surprise. In Colombia, people ask for things with regalar, which literally means "to give as a gift". It does not mean the item is free. It is just the polite way to order.

Three words to know here:

• Tinto is a small black coffee, not red wine. If you want wine, ask for vino tinto.
• Luca means one thousand pesos. Prices are big numbers, so diez lucas (10,000 pesos) is something you will hear at every market stall.
• A la orden is what shop assistants call out as you walk by. You do not need to answer, but a smile and gracias is always welcome.

When someone thanks you, try con mucho gusto instead of de nada. It is what most Colombians say, and people notice.

"Qué pena": the phrase that is not about pity

In most Spanish courses, ¡qué pena! means "what a pity". In Colombia it usually means "I'm sorry" or "excuse me", with a touch of embarrassment. You will hear it constantly:

Use it yourself when you bump into someone, interrupt a conversation or need to ask a stranger for help. It sounds softer and more natural than perdón on its own.

Weekend words

So on a Monday morning a colleague might tell you: Uy, estoy mamado, ayer tuve un guayabo terrible. Now you know they had a long weekend.

What people might call you

Don't be surprised if strangers call you mono or mona. It means a person with light or blond hair, and it is usually affectionate, not an insult. In Bogotá and Boyacá you may also hear sumercé, a warm, respectful way of saying "you" that people use with customers, neighbors and family. You don't need to use it, but it is lovely to recognize.

Usted, even between friends

One thing that surprises many visitors: in much of Colombia, especially Bogotá and the Medellín area, people use usted not only with strangers but also with friends, partners and even children. It does not mean they are being distant. For you, this is good news: usted is always a safe choice. Use it with everyone at first and switch to tú when the other person does.

How to use slang without sounding forced

Slang works best in small doses. A foreigner who says listo, qué pena and con mucho gusto sounds friendly and attentive. A foreigner who puts parce in every sentence sounds like they are trying too hard. A few tips:

1. Listen first. Notice who uses a word and with whom before you try it.
2. Start with the safe ones. Listo, dale, chévere, qué pena and ¿me regala…? work everywhere, with everyone.
3. Keep the rest for friends. Parce, paila and guayabo are for relaxed settings, not your bank appointment.
4. Ask when you don't understand. ¿Qué significa eso? or ¿Me lo puede repetir más despacio? Colombians are usually happy to explain their words.

The real challenge is not the vocabulary but catching it when people speak fast, in their own accent and in the middle of a busy street. That is what live practice is for: hearing these words in real conversations until they stop surprising you.