The Spanish spoken in Colombia is a mosaic of expressions, popular phrases, and borrowings from other languages, particularly English. Through commercial and cultural exchanges, and more recently due to cinema, music, and globalization, English has left its mark on Colombian vocabulary. Mostly, the important Colombian diaspora in the U.S. since the mid 20th century, with many coming back to Colombia, has exported back to the homeland expressions learned in North America. Many words considered everyday terms come from phonetic adaptations of English words that gradually transformed until they acquired their own meaning within the Colombian context.
Colombian Spanish words adopted from English
Below we will mention some of these words, how they entered popular speech, and what they reveal about the country’s linguistic creativity.
From ‘Free of lice’ to ‘Firulais’: the reinvention of English in a local key
One of the most curious examples is Firulais, a generic name for stray dogs that comes from the English expression free of lice. Although it may sound improbable, the explanation responds to popular perception. According to the popular story, Latinos who migrated to the U.S. were asked for their pets to be “free from lice,” and Colombians adapted the phrase until it became a friendly nickname for any stray or domestic dog.
Another word with an interesting origin is tusa, very popular in Colombia to refer to the emotional pain caused by a breakup. According to an urban linguistic theory, it comes from the deformation of too sad. Although this etymology is not documented in official dictionaries, it reflects how communities reinterpret foreign sounds to explain local realities.
Overol is another linguistic borrowing. Its origin is the English word overall, which means “in general” or “over everything,” but in English it is also used to name the work garment that covers clothing. In Colombia, the term was adapted to “overol” and is used exclusively to refer to that garment.
@neyas.pe Overol Cataleya✨ #overol #overoles #moda #ropafemenina #invierno #denim #fypシ #foryoupage #paratii ♬
From the kitchen to everyday life
Colombian gastronomy has also inherited words from English. Bistec, a typical dish consisting of grilled or fried beef, comes from beef steak. Over time, the term was shortened and is now pronounced “bistec” throughout much of Latin America.
@tatanarroyo Carne en bistec #comida #fyp #recetas #parati #viral #foryou #receta #recipes ♬ Pedro – Jaxomy & Agatino Romero & Raffaella Carrà
Something similar happened with ponque, a word derived from pound cake, a type of sponge cake very popular in England and the United States. When it arrived in Colombia, its phonetics were transformed until it became the term everyone now recognizes as a synonym for cake.
@salomecocina Este ponque es mi favorito 🍞 queda súper suavecito, esponjosito y por supuesto “mi amor con te quiero” 😙👌🏼 #salomecocina #ponque #ponquedevainilla #budin #pastel #pasteldevainilla #panque #torta #tortadevainilla #postres #arequipe #dulcedeleche #recetas #recetafacil #recetasfaciles ♬ In the Mood – Glenn Miller
But creativity does not stop in the kitchen. The term pispirispisnais (also spelled pispirisnais) refers to someone who thinks of themselves as elegant or upper class. Its origin comes from a distortion of the phrase people is nice, which Colombians humorously adapted to describe those who try to appear refined.
Gringo, widely used in Colombia to refer to foreigners, especially Americans, comes from the phrase green go, supposedly popular during times of military interventions when locals would ask soldiers in green uniforms to leave. Although the real etymological explanation is more complex, the popular version has remained in culture.
Finally, the term teipon is a “Colombianism” born from time out, which means break or pause. In Colombia, people use the word to request a rest or pause in the middle of an activity, even outside the sports context.
Other curious borrowings and adaptations
In addition to the examples above, there are other words in Spanish — not only in Colombia but also in several Latin American countries — that come directly or indirectly from English:
Chofer (from chauffeur, although originally French, it entered Spanish through English).
Guachiman (from watchman), used to refer to security guards.
Jibaro (some linguists link its origin to heap or heaver, though it also relates to Indigenous groups and has multiple possible roots).
Jonron (from home run, used in baseball).
Futbol (from football), probably the most internationalized anglicism.
Sanduche or sandwich (from sandwich), adapted to Colombian taste.
Tenis (from tennis, used in Colombia to name any sports shoe).
Vagon (from wagon), used for train cars.
The Spanish of Colombia, like that of other Latin American countries, is living proof of the ability of languages to transform. Each linguistic borrowing reveals a story of contact, creativity, and cultural appropriation.