Basic Peruvian Spanish Phrases for Travellers
Peruvian Spanish is considered one of the clearest and easiest-to-understand varieties of Latin American Spanish, particularly the dialect spoken in Lima and along the coast. The pronunciation is clean, without the dropped consonants common in Caribbean Spanish or the strong “sh” sound of Argentine Spanish. In the highlands around Cusco, Puno, and Huaraz, you will hear Quechua — an indigenous language spoken by roughly four million Peruvians. Many highland place names are Quechua in origin (Cusco, Machu Picchu, Ayacucho), and locals often mix Quechua words into their Spanish.
Greetings and Basics
| English | Peruvian Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hola | OH-lah |
| Good morning | Buenos días | BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs |
| Good afternoon | Buenas tardes | BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs |
| Good evening | Buenas noches | BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs |
| How are you? | ¿Cómo estás? | KOH-moh ehs-TAHS |
| Very well, thanks | Muy bien, gracias | mwee bee-EHN, GRAH-see-ahs |
| Please | Por favor | por fah-VOR |
| Thank you | Gracias | GRAH-see-ahs |
| You’re welcome | De nada | deh NAH-dah |
| Excuse me | Disculpe | dees-KOOL-peh |
| Yes / No | Sí / No | see / noh |
| I don’t understand | No entiendo | noh ehn-tee-EHN-doh |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? | AH-blah een-GLEHS |
Getting Around
| English | Peruvian Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is…? | ¿Dónde está…? | DOHN-deh ehs-TAH |
| How much is a taxi to…? | ¿Cuánto cuesta un taxi a…? | KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah oon TAK-see ah |
| Bus terminal | Terminal terrestre | tehr-mee-NAHL teh-RREHS-treh |
| Left / Right / Straight | Izquierda / Derecha / Derecho | eez-kee-EHR-dah / deh-REH-chah / deh-REH-choh |
| How far is it? | ¿Qué tan lejos está? | keh tahn LEH-hohs ehs-TAH |
| I need to go to… | Necesito ir a… | neh-seh-SEE-toh eer ah |
| One ticket, please | Un boleto, por favor | oon boh-LEH-toh, por fah-VOR |
| Airport | Aeropuerto | ah-eh-roh-PWEHR-toh |
| Collectivo (shared minibus) | Colectivo | koh-lehk-TEE-voh |
| Stop here, please | Pare aquí, por favor | PAH-reh ah-KEE, por fah-VOR |
Food and Dining
| English | Peruvian Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| The menu, please | La carta, por favor | lah KAR-tah, por fah-VOR |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor | lah KWEHN-tah, por fah-VOR |
| Water (bottled) | Agua embotellada | AH-gwah ehm-boh-teh-YAH-dah |
| Beer | Cerveza | sehr-VEH-sah |
| Set lunch menu | Menú del día | meh-NOO dehl DEE-ah |
| I am vegetarian | Soy vegetariano/a | soy veh-heh-tah-ree-AH-noh/nah |
| Delicious | Riquísimo | ree-KEE-see-moh |
| Spicy | Picante | pee-KAHN-teh |
| Ceviche | Ceviche | seh-VEE-cheh |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! | sah-LOOD |
Numbers
| Number | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uno | OO-noh |
| 2 | Dos | dohs |
| 3 | Tres | trehs |
| 4 | Cuatro | KWAH-troh |
| 5 | Cinco | SEEN-koh |
| 6 | Seis | says |
| 7 | Siete | see-EH-teh |
| 8 | Ocho | OH-choh |
| 9 | Nueve | NWEH-veh |
| 10 | Diez | dee-EHS |
Emergency Phrases
| English | Peruvian Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | ¡Ayuda! | ah-YOO-dah |
| I need a doctor | Necesito un médico | neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh |
| Call the police | Llame a la policía | YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah |
| Hospital | Hospital | ohs-pee-TAHL |
| I’m lost | Estoy perdido/a | ehs-TOY pehr-DEE-doh/dah |
| It’s an emergency | Es una emergencia | ehs OO-nah eh-mehr-HEHN-see-ah |
| Pharmacy | Farmacia | far-MAH-see-ah |
| I’ve been robbed | Me han robado | meh ahn roh-BAH-doh |
Peruvian Spanish pronunciation is straightforward — words are spoken as they are written, with stress usually on the second-to-last syllable unless an accent mark indicates otherwise. The double “ll” is pronounced as a clear “y” sound (unlike Argentina’s “sh”). In the highlands, you may hear Quechua greetings like “Allillanchu” (how are you?) and “Allillanmi” (I’m fine) — using these in places like Cusco or the Sacred Valley will delight locals. One useful Peruvian slang term: “chévere” (CHEH-veh-reh) means “cool” or “great” and works in almost any positive context.
If you want to practise your Spanish with local context, guided tours in Peru typically pair you with bilingual guides who move between Spanish and English — useful for picking up natural phrases on the ground. Staying connected also helps: a local eSIM for Peru means you can look up phrases and navigate without relying on Wi-Fi.
Related Guides
- First-Time in Peru Guide — Everything you need to know before arriving: visas, money, safety, and getting around.
- Cusco Travel Guide — The highland city where Quechua is most commonly heard alongside Spanish; the Spanish phrases above apply everywhere in the region.
- Lima Travel Guide — Lima’s coastal Spanish is the clearest in Latin America and a good place to practise before heading to the highlands.
- Sacred Valley Guide — Markets and communities in the valley are where Quechua greetings earn the warmest responses.
- Is Peru Safe? — Knowing basic emergency phrases in context, and how to stay safe while travelling independently.
- Solo Travel in Peru — Why language basics matter more for solo travellers, and how to use them to meet locals.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to speak Spanish to travel in Peru?
- Basic Spanish is strongly recommended. While tourist hubs like Cusco and Miraflores in Lima have English-speaking staff, the majority of Peruvians speak only Spanish. In highland communities, Quechua is the first language and Spanish the second.
- What is the most important phrase to learn?
- "Por favor" (please) combined with pointing and a smile will get you surprisingly far. Peruvians value politeness highly, and using "por favor" and "gracias" in every interaction sets a respectful tone.