Language Lessons

Spanish in Otavalo, Ecuador

As in many Latin American countries, the most commonly spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish. With that being said, each country has its own local slang and pronunciations that make its Spanish unique.  Ecuador is no exception and has a wonderful variety of slang words and idioms that when said can give you away as speaking the Ecuadorian way. This list is by no means comprehensive but is a great start to get to know how the language is used. Beginners will find this useful as they start learning the language and even fluent Spanish speakers who are not from Ecuador have much to learn! Remember to have fun! Also, be sure to check out the next tab about speaking Kichwa, the indigenous language spoken by many people in highland Ecuador.

** The audio files may not work with all browsers.  If yours is not working try Google Chrome.**

Ways to say “Thank You” and "You're Welcome"

Greetings

Basic Vocabulary

  

Otavalo Kichwa

Otavalo Kichwa is part of the Quechua family of languages, evolved from the Quechua spread by the Incas throughout the Andes. For more information, and to hear some of the fascinating differences and similarities among these languages, visit The Sounds of the Andean Languages. Varieties of Kichwa differ throughout the Ecuadorian highlands and in the Amazonian region where it is spoken. As the bilingual education movement gained strength, leaders decided to standardize spelling throughout Ecuador (Kichwa Unificado, Shukyachiska Kichwa) in order to facilitate the making of educational materials and strengthen the unity of the movement. Hence the spelling Kichwa, rather than Quichua, which was usually preferred before. 

In the communities where we work, Kichwa is often mixed with Spanish, and the majority of people are bilingual. Mestizos in the communities often speak only Spanish, with a bit of Kichwa mixed in. Elders and young children sometimes speak only Kichwa, with some common Spanish words mixed in. There are also some Spanish phrases that have been transformed in Kichwa, such as "Dios le pague" (God pay you), which has become "Yusul pagui", "pagui", and "pai" in Kichwa usage. Indigenous cultural leaders and students sometimes speak a pure Kichwa, but most older community members speak a version with numerous Spanish influences. Speaking a few words of Kichwa when you arrive in one of the communities where we work will impress people and show them that you value their language and culture. If you are inspired to move beyond these basics, visit Kichwa.net.

Greetings, Goodbyes, and Basic Questions

Basic Vocabulary

Useful commands and words (especially for our healthcare work)

 Dogon Language Family

Dogon is a family of about 20 languages, spoken by the Dogon people of the Mopti Region of Mali.  Languages and dialects differ widely from commune to commune, though some are mutually intelligible and others bear significant resemblances to one another.  Some languages include Donno So, Tommo So, Toro So, Dogolu Dum, Jamsay, Mombo, Tengu-Kan, and many others.  We focus on Tommo So, because it is the language of six Townships north of the town of Bandiagara, known as the Tommoguine, where the majority of our work takes place.  Other than greetings, the rudimentary basics of Tommo So seem to be fairly well understood by speakers of Donno So (in and around Bandiagara), and Toro So (Sangha, and the eastern escarpment villages).  It is not understood in Yarou Plateau or Kori-Maounde.

On this page, we use our own (rather uninformed) spelling for ease of understanding by the nonlinguist. Hopefully, by listening to the audio pronunciations, you'll get the idea.  Knowing even a few phrases will make you popular in the Tommoguine!

Greetings

As in most Malian languages, greetings are very important and lengthy in Tommo So.  It is important to ask multiple questions and respond with questions to someone who has greeted you.  Different greetings are used at different times of day.

Morning Greetings

Afternoon Greetings