Get ready to explore the delicious world of Colombian cuisine! In this lesson, you'll learn the names of iconic Colombian dishes like arepas, empanadas, and ajiaco. You'll also master two important irregular verbs — 'venir' (to come) and 'traer' (to bring) — and learn how to ask for more food at a restaurant.
Learning tips
- Colombian dishes vary greatly by region. Ajiaco is Bogota's signature soup, while bandeja paisa comes from the Antioquia region (Medellin area).
- 'Traer' has an irregular 'yo' form: 'traigo.' This is similar to other -go verbs you'll learn (hacer→hago, salir→salgo).
- 'Otro' changes to match the noun: 'otro plato' (another plate) but 'otra empanada' (another empanada).
- When you want more of something, just say 'mas + noun': 'mas arroz' (more rice), 'mas pan' (more bread).
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 6.3, you expanded the 'gustar' pattern: me encanta (I love), me fascina (I'm fascinated by), no me gusta (I don't like). These all follow the same pronoun + verb + subject structure.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| recomendar | to recommend |
| probar | to try/taste |
| delicioso | delicious |
| rico | tasty/yummy |
| picante | spicy |
| dulce | sweet |
| salado | salty |
| el plato | the dish/plate |
| la sopa | the soup |
| la ensalada | the salad |
Dialog
Andres and Valentina order Colombian dishes at a traditional restaurant. Notice the irregular verbs: 'viene' (comes) from 'venir' and 'trae' (brings) from 'traer.' They use 'otro/otra' (another) and 'mas' (more) to order additional items. 'Servir' is another stem-changing verb (e→i): 'sirvo, sirves, sirve.' Colombian dishes are rich and hearty — the bandeja paisa is famously large!
Andrés
¡Valentina! Aquí tienen las mejores arepas de Bogotá.
(Valentina! Here they-have the best arepas of Bogotá.)
Valentina! They have the best arepas in Bogota here.
Valentina
¡Me encantan las arepas! También quiero una empanada de carne.
(Me enchant the arepas! Also I-want an empanada of meat.)
I love arepas! I also want a meat empanada.
Andrés
Yo voy a pedir el ajiaco. Es una sopa típica de Bogotá con pollo.
(I go to order the ajiaco. Is a soup typical of Bogotá with chicken.)
I'm going to order the ajiaco. It's a typical Bogota soup with chicken.
Valentina
¿Me puede traer otro plato de arroz, por favor? Quiero más.
(Me can bring another plate of rice, please? I-want more.)
Can you bring me another plate of rice, please? I want more.
Andrés
La bandeja paisa viene con carne, arroz, plátano y más. Es muy grande.
(The bandeja paisa comes with meat, rice, plantain and more. Is very big.)
The bandeja paisa comes with meat, rice, plantain, and more. It's very big.
Valentina
¡Sí! Y un tamal para compartir. ¿Me trae un tamal, mesero?
(Yes! And a tamal for to-share. Me bring a tamal, waiter?)
Yes! And a tamal to share. Can you bring me a tamal, waiter?
Andrés
Mesero, ¿nos puede servir la comida? Tenemos hambre.
(Waiter, us can serve the food? We-have hunger.)
Waiter, can you serve us the food? We're hungry.
Valentina
Otro jugo también, por favor. Y más pan, si tiene.
(Another juice also, please. And more bread, if you-have.)
Another juice too, please. And more bread, if you have it.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la arepa | /a.ˈɾe.pa/ | the arepa (corn cake) | A flat corn cake — the quintessential Colombian food, eaten at every meal |
| la empanada | /em.pa.ˈna.ða/ | the empanada (stuffed pastry) | Fried or baked pastry filled with meat, potato, or cheese |
| el ajiaco | /a.ˈxja.ko/ | the ajiaco (chicken potato soup) | Bogota's signature dish — creamy soup with chicken, three types of potato, corn, and guasca herb |
| la bandeja paisa | /ban.ˈde.xa ˈpaj.sa/ | the bandeja paisa (Paisa platter) | A massive platter from Antioquia with beans, rice, meat, egg, plantain, arepa, avocado, and more |
| el tamal | /ta.ˈmal/ | the tamal (wrapped corn dough) | Corn dough with meat and vegetables, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed |
| la carne | /ˈkaɾ.ne/ | the meat | Usually refers to beef in Colombian context |
| servir | /seɾ.ˈβiɾ/ | to serve | Stem-changing verb (e→i): sirvo, sirves, sirve |
| traer | /tɾa.ˈeɾ/ | to bring | Irregular yo form: traigo; rest is regular: traes, trae, traemos, traen |
| otro | /ˈo.tɾo/ | another, other | Agrees with noun: otro plato, otra sopa, otros platos |
| más | /ˈmas/ | more | Invariable — doesn't change form: mas arroz, mas agua, mas platos |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el sancocho | /san.ˈko.tʃo/ | the sancocho (hearty stew) | Popular Colombian stew with meat, corn, potato, plantain |
| la changua | /ˈtʃan.ɡwa/ | the changua (milk and egg soup) | Traditional Bogota breakfast soup with milk, egg, and cilantro |
| el buñuelo | /bu.ˈɲwe.lo/ | the bunuelo (cheese fritter) | Round fried cheese dough ball — popular snack and holiday treat |
| la almojábana | /al.mo.ˈxa.βa.na/ | the almojabana (cheese bread) | Soft cheese bread roll — common breakfast item |
| el hogao | /o.ˈɡa.o/ | the hogao (tomato-onion sauce) | A cooked sauce of tomato, onion, and cumin — used on many dishes |
| la guasca | /ˈɡwas.ka/ | the guasca (herb) | The key herb in ajiaco — gives it its distinctive flavor |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ¿me trae otro? | can you bring me another? |
| quiero más | I want more |
Pronunciation: For 'ajiaco,' stress the second-to-last syllable: 'a-HIA-co.' The 'j' sounds like a strong 'h.' 'Arepa' is 'a-RE-pa' — stress on the middle syllable. 'Empanada' has four syllables: 'em-pa-NA-da.' Practice these food names — you'll impress locals when you order correctly!
Grammar: Present tense of irregular verbs: 'venir' and 'traer'
| Person | venir (to come) | traer (to bring) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | vengo | traigo |
| tú | vienes | traes |
| usted / él / ella | viene | trae |
| nosotros | venimos | traemos |
| ustedes / ellos | vienen | traen |
| Word | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| otro/otra | another (one) | Otro plato, por favor. |
| más | more | Quiero más arroz. |
Two important irregular verbs for restaurant situations:
Venir (to come):
- yo vengo, tu vienes, usted/el/ella viene, nosotros venimos, ustedes/ellos vienen
- Note the irregular 'yo' form: vengo (not 'veno')
Traer (to bring):
- yo traigo, tu traes, usted/el/ella trae, nosotros traemos, ustedes/ellos traen
- Note the irregular 'yo' form: traigo (not 'trao')
Both verbs have irregular 'yo' forms ending in -go — this is a common pattern in Spanish (hacer→hago, poner→pongo, salir→salgo).
Ordering more:
- otro/otra = another: '¿Me trae otra empanada?' (Can you bring me another empanada?)
- mas = more: 'Quiero mas arroz.' (I want more rice.)
'Otro' changes to match gender (otro/otra) and number (otros/otras). 'Mas' never changes.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- La paisa tiene carne, arroz y plátano.(a large multi-dish platter from Antioquia)
- El es una sopa típica de Bogotá.(Bogota's signature chicken potato soup)
- Mesero, ¿nos puede la comida, por favor?(to serve or to bring — infinitive)
- Quiero empanada, por favor.(feminine form of 'another')
- ¿Me puede un poco más de arroz?(to bring — infinitive)
Grammar Application
Conjugate 'venir' or 'traer' for the given subject.
- yo / venir / al restaurante → (yo + venir — remember the irregular -go form)
- él / traer / las arepas → (el + traer — regular third person)
- nosotros / venir / de Medellín → (nosotros + venir — regular, no stem change)
- tú / traer / el ajiaco → (tu + traer — regular second person)
- ellos / venir / a comer → (ellos + venir — regular third person plural)
Translation (English to Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- Can you bring me an arepa, please?
- Ajiaco is a soup with chicken.
- I want another meat empanada.
- The bandeja paisa has everything.
- The waiter brings more bread.
Creative Construction
Write a short ordering scene (2-3 sentences) using Colombian dish names and the verbs 'traer' or 'servir.' Ask for additional items.
Takeaway
You now know iconic Colombian dishes: arepa, empanada, ajiaco, bandeja paisa, and tamal. Use 'traer' (yo traigo) and 'venir' (yo vengo) — both have irregular -go forms. Ask for more with 'otro/a' (another) and 'mas' (more).
Culture note: Colombian food reflects the country's incredible regional diversity. In Bogota, ajiaco is the signature dish — a hearty soup with three types of potato (criolla, sabanera, and pastusa), chicken, corn on the cob, cream, capers, and avocado on the side. The secret ingredient is 'guasca,' an herb that gives ajiaco its unique flavor. The bandeja paisa from Antioquia is another national treasure — it's so big that many people share it or save half for later. Colombians are proud of their regional dishes and love sharing them with visitors!
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