Colombian Slang, Sayings and Culture:
Don’t Sound Like a Gringo in Colombia

I’m from Denmark, a place where conversations are usually calm, personal space is respected, and calling your friends fat, gay, evil, or something that sounds deeply offensive is generally not considered a sign of affection. Then I went to Colombia…

My Colombian girlfriend and I spent three months travelling around the country, meeting her family and friends, and diving straight into everyday Colombian life. My Spanish was basic, and within minutes I realized textbook Spanish had not prepared me for the amount of slang, jokes, nicknames, gestures, cursing, and expressions flying around me.

I started writing down the words and phrases I didn’t understand. That little list just kept growing…
Eventually, it became this book.

It has since been carefully curated, debated, corrected, laughed at, and improved with the help of his Colombian girlfriend, her family, and friends, making sure the slang sounds real, the culture makes sense, and the jokes don’t completely miss the point.

Don’t Sound Like a Gringo in Colombia is the guide I wish I’d had when I arrived: not a grammar book, but a way to understand what Colombians actually mean when they speak.

Because learning Spanish is one thing.
Understanding Colombians is another.