Paraguay is the only country in the Americas where the majority of the population speaks an indigenous language — Guaraní — alongside Spanish. Almost everyone here moves easily between the two, and Spanish on the street is full of Guaraní words.
Here are six you will meet from your very first day:
- Tereré — iced yerba mate, shared with friends from a guampa with a metal bombilla. More than a drink: a social ritual.
- Chipa — the cheese bread of Paraguay, baked from starch and cheese. You will find it on every corner in the morning.
- Ñandutí — the famous spider-web lace. The name literally means “spider web” in Guaraní.
- Pira — fish. You will see it in markets and on menus, for example in “kaldo pira”, a classic soup of the riverside regions.
- Che — “me” / “mine” in Guaraní. Paraguayans sprinkle it into their Spanish: che amigo, che corazón — it is part of the local charm.
- Porã — good, beautiful, well. “¡Ta porã!” — “how good!” — you will hear it at every table.
Why this matters for your Spanish course
When you study Spanish at Hispana Paraguay you learn correct, neutral Spanish — and you also get the key to the local version: the Guaraní flavor that makes everyday conversation in Asunción feel warm and unique. Our teachers explain it naturally in class, often with a joke or a tereré in hand.
Start with tereré and chipa: the rest comes fast, and the locals will love that you try.
This article is part of our culture series. Questions about courses or life in Paraguay? Write to us on WhatsApp — we usually answer within the hour.