The Caribbean conjures up images of tropical islands, warm breezes, palm trees, mambo and merengue, and piña coladas. You can find the dream of island living and then some, but the Caribbean can’t be reduced to a postcard vacation. It has a longstanding history of native traditions and Spanish culture that makes it unique among Spanish-speaking regions.
In a sense, the Spanish spoken in the Caribbean is the original Spanish of the Americas. When Spanish navigators departed from the Andalusia region of Spain, they landed on Caribbean islands like Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Cuba, and probably one of the Bahama islands. That’s one reason the Spanish spoken in the Caribbean sounds like the Spanish spoken in southern Spain!
If you’re thinking of traveling to or doing business in the Caribbean, you’ll want to learn more about this interesting dialect. While Caribbean Spanish may be unique and more relaxed in nature, you’ll still be able to communicate even if you’re learning a different Spanish dialect. Still, boosting your vocabulary with these words and phrases will go a long way when communicating in this region.
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So, panas, let’s begin!
Where is Spanish spoken in the Caribbean?
Geographically speaking, the Caribbean is nestled between the tip of Florida, eastern Mexico, and the north coast of South America. It comprises over 700 islands within the coastal boundaries of the Caribbean Sea.
Of those islands, Spanish is the official language of three nations:
- Cuba,
- Puerto Rico,
- and the Dominican Republic.
Caribbean Spanish can also be found in neighboring countries within the Caribbean region, including the coastal areas of Venezuela, northern Colombia, and eastern Panama.
Even if you don’t have travel on your itinerary, Caribbean Spanish is spoken in large pockets across the United States. In New York City, Puerto Ricans make up nearly 8 percent of the population, while Miami is home to thriving Cuban neighborhoods.
>>Want to brush up on your Spanish basics? Try this list of 100+ must-know phrases!
Why is Spanish spoken in the Caribbean?
As we mentioned, Caribbean Spanish originated with the Spanish explorers and conquerors, many of whom were from the southern part of Spain where a particular kind of Spanish was spoken. When they arrived, they encountered natives, including the Arawak peoples and the Ciboney.
After the initial conquest, colonization began and many Andalusians and Canary Islanders in particular settled in the Caribbean. Since the Caribbean was a stopping point for the African slave trade, Caribbean Spanish was influenced not only by the colonizers’ Spanish but by indigenous and African languages. For example, the popular musical form bachata probably comes from an African word, and iguana comes from an indigenous word.
But Spanish is only one of many languages spoken in this area of the world! The Caribbean was further colonized in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by the French, Dutch, English, and Portuguese, and those languages or creole versions of them (like Papiamiento and Haitian Creole) are still spoken today.
Indigenous languages—including Guarani, Aymara, Nahuatl, Maya, and Quechua—are also still spoken, though many native languages of the Caribbean are in danger of extinction.
How many people speak Spanish in the Caribbean?
There are about 28 million people who speak Spanish in the Caribbean. That’s about two-thirds of the entire population across all islands!
Even in countries and territories where Spanish is not the official language, Spanish is a secondary language for many, making it a useful language to know if you plan on traveling to the Caribbean’s abundance of islands.
What does a Caribbean Spanish accent sound like?
With the influences we’ve already mentioned, Spanish in the Caribbean has a particular sound and flavor. It’s still Spanish, of course, but think of this as the difference between Bostonian English and southern English. Each region has its own variety of a given language with slightly different pronunciation and vocabulary. Sometimes even the grammar is different.
Here’s how Caribbean Spanish differs:
- Dropping and weakening consonants: You’ll notice this happens frequently with consonants at the end of a syllable. This is most applicable when the letter “s” appears.
- Softening r sounds: The r sound often sounds more like an l. Mujer (“woman”) sounds more like mujel. This is called lambdacism.
- Softening d sounds: When it’s between syllables or at the end of a word, the d sound is frequently softened or dropped entirely.
- Embracing seseo and yeísmo: As in Andalusia and the Canary Islands, Caribbean Spanish has the seseo, which means the s and z sounds are similar, and yeísmo, meaning the ll and y letters sound like the y in “yellow.”
Is it difficult to learn Caribbean Spanish?
Is Caribbean Spanish hard to learn? ¡Claro que no! That means “of course not.” While pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar differ slightly from “standard” Latin American Spanish, all Spanish speakers are able to understand Caribbean Spanish easily.
Think of it this way: In the United States, “lollipop” is used in the Northeast while “sucker” is used across the South and midwest. Vocabulary can vary from place to place, and Spanish—across regions—is no different!
Thankfully, these differences are typically easy for listeners to understand within context.
What are the differences between Caribbean Spanish and Latin American Spanish?
We mentioned how Caribbean Spanish differs in pronunciation in the previous section. Since Latin American Spanish (or LAS) is also influenced by Andalusian and Canary Island Spanish, Caribbean Spanish uses the yeísmo and seseo, for the most part. Pronunciation in other ares is similar but not identical.
The voseo is used in many Spanish dialects, most notably in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. This grammatical element can add some complexity for new learners, as it requires speakers to replace the second-person singular pronoun tú is replaced with the pronoun vos. This element is not present in Caribbean Spanish.
The most substantial difference between LAS and Caribbean Spanish is probably the vocabulary, but we’ve got you covered with the words and phrases listed below!
What words or phrases should I know if I’m traveling to Spanish-speaking Caribbean nations?
As we said, “Caribbean Spanish” is a term that can sometimes be applied broadly to the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, etc., but this post focuses on the more common lens of three Caribbean islands: Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
The following charts offer some helpful vocabulary for each nation. But remember that these dialects of Spanish are also spoken in the United States, in places like New York City and Miami. Remember that these words aren’t exclusive to these islands, and you may hear them used in other parts of the Caribbean.
Cuban Spanish
Cubans form questions in an interesting way: they usually don’t invert the pronouns and the verbs. Whereas most Spanish speakers might ask: ¿Qué comes? or ¿Qué comes tú? (“What are you eating?”), Cuban speakers would ask: ¿Qué tú comes?
Dominicans and Puerto Ricans often use this form as well. Here are some useful phrases and words used in Cuba:
| Cuban Spanish | Neutral Spanish | English |
| ají | pimiento, chile | pepper, chili |
| arriba de la bola | actualizado, lo máximo | up to date, on top of things |
| Asere, ¿qué bola? | ¿Qué hay, amigo? | What’s up, dude? (informal) |
| chévere | estupendo | cool, great, wonderful |
| dale | dale/sale/vale | okay, come on |
| Eres un barco. | Dejas todo al último. | You leave everything till the end. |
| Estás en llama. | Eres feo/a. | You’re ugly. |
| guagua | autobús | bus |
| jaba | bolsa, cesta, cesto | bag, basket |
| jama | comida | food |
| jevo/a | novio/a | boyfriend/girlfriend |
| maní | cacahuates | peanut |
| más rollo que película | mucho hablar y poco hacer | more talk than action |
| pinchar | trabajar | to work |
| punto | raro | weird |
| Tírame un cabo. | Échame la mano. | Give me a hand. |
| Tumba, tumba. | Vamos, vamos. | Let’s go, let’s go. |
| Vamos echando. | Vamos yendo./Vámonos. | Let’s get out of here. |
| Yuma | Estados Unidos | United States |
Dominican Spanish
Dominican Spanish tends to be quite fast. The informal and spontaneous contraction of words is quite common, so sounds can be dropped in this process. The l or i is sometimes used instead of the r sound. In this way, hablar (“to speak”) might be pronounced as hablai. The r sound sometimes substitutes the l sound.
| Dominican Spanish | Neutral Spanish | English |
| ¡Andá! | ¡Qué pena! | How sad! What a shame! |
| ¿Me copiaste? | ¿Me entendiste? | Did you understand me? |
| ¿Qué lo qué? | ¿Qué hay? | What’s up? (informal) |
| (un) chin | (un) poco | a little |
| aposento | cuarto, habitación | room |
| bacano | muy bueno, excelente | great, cool |
| colmado | almacén, bodega | convenience/corner store |
| concho | taxi, transporte colectivo | taxi, shared ride with a determined route |
| cualto | dinero | money |
| Dame luz. | Explícame. | Explain it to me. |
| di que | eh, supuestamente, dizque | um, supposedly, so called |
| funda | bolsa | bag, sack |
| guineo | plátano | banana |
| Ponte cloro. | Sea claro. | Be clear. |
| servicio | menú | menu |
| Tató. | Está todo bien | Everything’s fine/good. |
| tiguere | persona astuta/tramposa | street smart, bold, or dishonest person |
| Tumba eso. | Olvida eso. | Forget it. |
| vaina | cosa/asunto desconocido | an unknown or unmentionable thing |
| voladora | autobús pequeño | mini-bus |
Puerto Rican Spanish
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States where the official languages are Spanish and English. Puerto Ricans favor the word boricua, derived from Taino, to describe themselves.
| Puerto Rican Spanish | Neutral Spanish | English |
| ¡Wepa! | ¡Vaya! / Ánimo. / ¡Ea! | Oh wow! / Come on! / Hey! |
| ¿Qué es la que hay? | ¿Qué hay? | What’s up? (informal) |
| babilla | coraje | bravery (informal) |
| birra | cerveza | beer |
| boricua | puertorriqueño/a | Puerto Rican (noun and adjective) |
| brutal | excelente | great, awesome |
| chacho/a | muchacho / muchacha | young man / young woman |
| chavo | dinero | money |
| chillo | pargo colorado / huauchinango | red snapper |
| coco | cabeza | head |
| goma | llanta / neumático | tire |
| habichuelas | judías / frijoles | beans |
| juey | cangrejo | crab |
| ni fu ni fa | ni eso ni el otro | neither here nor there |
| panas | amigos | friends |
| revolú | revoltijo / desorden | mess |
| tostón | plátano verde frito | fried plantain |
| turca | borrachera | drunkenness, bender |
| viandas | tubérculos y frutas | root vegetables and fruits |
| zafacón | basurero | waste basket |
Explore Spanish in every region with Rosetta Stone
¡Wepa! As you can see, Caribbean Spanish is incredibly fun and descriptive. Since vocabulary can vary from place to place, it helps to learn these words and phrases we’ve given you. And now you’re well on your way to being able to communicate with people in and from the Caribbean!
If you’d like to amplify your knowledge of Spanish without relying on memorization, check out Rosetta Stone’s immersive lessons, which get you communicating with confidence from your very first lesson. Plus, you’ll be able to perfect your accent in every lesson, with immediate feedback on your pronunciation!
Written by Rowena Galavitz
Rowena Galavitz is a Spanish translator, bilingual copy editor, and language and literature instructor with three master’s degrees who loves Spanish and all things Mexico.
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