Getting around
Subte
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.
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Buenos Aires faces the Río de la Plata, with wide avenues and a port identity.
How the language is used
Spanish is official, and the local Rioplatense variety, including voseo, shapes everyday speech.
In this city
- Language
- Spanish
- Also heard
- Mostly Spanish
- A local word
- Che — Hey.
- 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 cortado, por favor.
A coffee cut with a little milk.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
Food
Kiosco
¿Cuánto sale?
How much is it?
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The street
Calle
¿Cómo andás?
How are you?
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
Spanish here uses voseo, the local you-form. You hear it in the café and on the street.
Around San Telmo, Palermo, La Boca, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Buenos Aires can run on four lines: “Próxima estación.”, “Un cortado, por favor.”, “¿Cuánto sale?”, and “¿Cómo andás?”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- The local you-form is vos, not tú. You hear it in the café and with friends.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Buenos Aires, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Che. It means Hey..
Places you can see
- Plaza de Mayo — The historic square in front of the Casa Rosada, where political gatherings still meet.
- La Boca — A port neighbourhood of bright corrugated houses along Caminito, near the old river docks.
- Recoleta — A northern neighbourhood of old apartments, cafés, and a cemetery of elaborate tombs.
Food
Grill houses cook beef, and cafés serve medialunas with coffee late in the day.
Getting around
Subte lines, colectivos, and suburban trains fan out from the centre.
Daily life
You drink coffee late and watch a wide avenue fill after sunset.
A few everyday phrases
Spanish
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Me llamo… | My name is… |
