Getting around
TransMilenio
Próxima estación.
Next station.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
How the language is used
Spanish is the official language, and it is what offices, schools, and buses use.
In this city
- Language
- Spanish
- Also heard
- Mostly Spanish
- A local word
- Tinto — A black coffee.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
The counter
Café
Un tinto, por favor.
A black coffee.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The street
Tienda
¿Qué más?
What's new?
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
Food
Shop
A la orden.
At your service.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The language through the day
Spanish is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
Around La Candelaria, Chapinero, Usaquén, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Bogotá can run on four lines: “Próxima estación.”, “Un tinto, por favor.”, “¿Qué más?”, and “A la orden.”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- In a shop, usted is a safe polite you. Tú is warmer, with people your own age.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Bogotá, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Tinto. It means A black coffee..
Places you can see
- Monserrate — A hill shrine east of the centre, with a view back over the plateau.
- Gold Museum — A museum of pre-Columbian gold work in the city centre.
- La Candelaria — The old centre of steep streets, churches, and painted houses under the hills.
Food
Ajiaco and hot chocolate with cheese are local, and bakeries sell pandebono.
Getting around
TransMilenio buses use dedicated lanes, and a cable car climbs the eastern hills.
Daily life
You ride up to the hill shrine and look back over the plateau of the city.
A few everyday phrases
Spanish
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Me llamo… | My name is… |
