Spanish is spoken by more than 592 million people around the world, a good 493 million of them as native speakers, which makes it one of the biggest and most influential languages in the world. The importance of Spanish is particularly pronounced in the Americas, where the language dominates most of the central and southern portion of the New World—indeed, there are far, far more Spanish speakers in the Americas than there are in the linguistic homeland of Spain. Mexico boasts by far the biggest number of Spanish speakers, but Colombia ranks second place, making Colombian Spanish one of the most important variations of the language.
Around 50 million of Colombia’s 51 million residents are native speakers of the language, with the bulk of the remaining 1 million speaking Spanish as a second language. Given that Colombia is the second-largest Hispanic nation on the planet, its dialects of Spanish have considerable influence in the Spanish-speaking world, particularly the Spanish spoken in the capital, Bogotá. A variety of Spanish dialects are spoken throughout Colombia, but “Colombian Spanish” typically refers to the speech used in Bogotá, which enjoys a high level of prestige throughout the Americas.
Many translation agencies treat all Spanish dialects the same, but here at TranslationServices.com, we recognize the unique value of each individual dialect. That’s why we’re proud to present our Colombian Spanish translation services—free quotes available if you just ask!
What kind of Spanish is Colombian Spanish?
Colombia is home to many different dialects of Spanish, with the central areas of Colombia boasting more conservative vernacular that has retained vocabulary and features lost in other dialects, while the northern coastal regions of the country speaking a Spanish more similar to that in the Caribbean. As with other nations in the Americas, the diverse indigenous languages of the land have also contributed to shaping Colombian Spanish as spoken today.
Colombian Spanish exhibits a number of particularities that make it unique within the Spanish-speaking world. One is its usage of pronouns—indeed, Spanish varieties tend to vary substantially in their pronoun usage. In Colombian Spanish, the informal second-person plural pronoun, vosotros, used commonly in Spain, is considered archaic, having been entirely replaced by the initially formal usted. Another key characteristic of Colombian Spanish is its widespread use of diminutives (i.e., suffixes that denote an endearing smallness)—diminutives are applied to both nouns and adjectives, as well as verbs to add a layer of emphasis.
Professional Colombian Spanish translation services for any translation project
With Colombian Spanish as influential as it is, there are countless clients looking for reliable Spanish translation services specifically for this dialect. But a lot of translation services just offer “Spanish translation” without distinguishing the myriad of dialects that comprise it. Here at TranslationServices.com, we recognize the value of Colombian Spanish and thus have set up our own Colombian Spanish translation team, staffed with skilled and experienced translators from all over Colombia.
Some of our translators are specialized in business translation, helping both Colombian companies take their operations abroad and international corporations set up shop locally by translating everything from press releases and web copy to business proposals and employment contracts. Other members of our Colombian Spanish translation team focus on academic translation, bringing their deep knowledge of different fields to their work and helping both Colombian and foreign academics reach new heights with their dissertations, journal articles, or questionnaires. We also have a number of literary translators on staff, who can aid creatives in engaging new audiences with their content, whether that’s a novel, a collection of poems, a mobile app, or a video game. So, whatever sort of translation you need, we can help.
We want to help you with your Colombian Spanish translation project. Shoot us a message now to take the first step!