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Spanish is the official language of Ecuador, a South American country rich in history and culture. However, as a Spanish-speaking country with limited local fluent English speakers – especially in smaller cities – it can present communication challenges for English-speaking tourists. Fortunately, Ecuadorians are very patient and welcoming with foreigners – something we genuinely appreciate.
This blog post reviews Ecuador language basics of Spanish you should know when visiting Ecuador to minimize language barriers. However, we strongly believe in Google Translate as it will help tremendously. You should believe in it, too!
Basic Ecuador Language Phrases in Spanish
English is not widely spoken in Ecuador, nor are there many tourists, so do not wait for an English speaker to rescue you. Many Ecuadorians know some English words, but few will be able to converse fluently with you in English.
On the other hand, we have not encountered any locals who got frustrated or upset by our inability to speak fluent Spanish. Most Ecuadorians are relatively patient and will want to help you, which is fantastic.
Spanish Greetings in Ecuador
Although hola is Spanish for hello, it is best to greet someone in Ecuador formally. Opt for the more formal Buenos Días (good morning/before noon), Buenas Tardes (good afternoon until 6–7 pm), or Buenas Noches (good evening/after 6–7 pm). Some people will say Buenas as informal shorthand. If the other person says it first, I’ll repeat it back. However, I generally don’t start with just Buenas, instead opting for formal greetings.
After greeting each other, I sometimes do something I generally would not do in English: state my intention. So, if I am asking a question, I say, “Tengo una pregunta” (literally, I have a question). If I need help, I say “Necesito ayuda” (I need help). I wouldn’t do this in English – I would go right into my question – but in Spanish, it has been beneficial because it puts the other person in a state of focus. They now know what to expect from me, especially because it is clear I am a gringo just by saying this statement.
The exception is if I am ordering food. To order, say what you want, followed by “por favor” (please). Or you can start by saying “Me gustaría” (I would like) and then your order. However, if you go the “I would like” route, then make sure to say “Me gustarían” (note the n at the end) when saying something plural. Thus, I would like a taco is “Me gustaría un taco,” but I would like two tacos is “Me gustarían dos tacos.“

Always end by saying thank you very much, which is “Muchas gracias.” Don’t just say “gracias,” it is the verbal equivalent of emailing someone “Thx” in English. And if someone went out of their way for you, you can say, “Muchísimas gracias.”
Besides saying thank you, a local will reply with some form of Have a Great Day: “Que tenga un buen día.” You could also try saying this, but it’s easier to stick with “Hasta luego” (See you later).
- Steves, Rick (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 448 Pages - 09/17/2019 (Publication Date) - Rick Steves (Publisher)
Last update on 2025-02-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Directions and Transportation
Ten years ago, knowing how to say and understand directions in the local Ecuador language, Spanish, would have been crucial. But today, with Google Maps and widespread cell phone service, it is far easier to let Google Maps give you directions than asking locals for directions.
Having said that, you will need to speak Spanish to use a taxi. I have found loading the route on my phone in Google Maps and handing that to the taxi driver works well. Or use Uber in Quito, since Uber will tell the driver where to go. (Uber is unavailable in most Ecuadorian cities, however.)

However, there are still some essential words and phrases you should know when getting around town:
- A la izquierda/derecha – to the left/right
- Está delante de… – It is in front of…
- Está al lado de… – It is next to… (It is to the side of…)
- Está allí/allá – It is over there.
- Está aquí/acá – It is here. (Aquí is universally known as here in Spanish, but locally, many people use acá as here.)
- Dónde está…? – Where is…?
- Taxi/Uber – Taxi/Uber (they are spelled and pronounced the same)
- Adónde va? – Where are you going? (A taxi person will ask you this)
- Aeropuerto – Airport (you pronounce it like a pirate; it is AY-ro-puer-to, not AIR-ro-puer-to).
- Necesito ir a… – I need to go to… (ir, which means to go, sounds like “ear,” so pretend you are saying I need an ear to remember this sentence.)
- Hotel – Hotel (The letter H is silent in Spanish, so you pronounce it O-Tel.)
- Terminal de Autobús/terminal terrestre/Terminal de bús – Bus station. But this is *not* a bus stop, like for a local bus. Terminal is for intercity buses, like Greyhound in the United States. Ecuadorians do not say Estación de autobús, which is literally a bus station in Spanish.
- Parada de Autobús – Bus stop. Parada is what you would say for a local bus stop. Parada also means “a stop,” so you could say something like “Dónde está la parada para el Hotel?” (Where is the bus stop for the hotel?).
- Tarifa – fare.
- Calle/avenida – Street or avenue. Almost every street in Ecuador is either a calle or avenida.
- Edificio – building. If you are in an Ecuadorian city, it is common for someone to tell you the name of their building – commercial or residential – as the address. Amazingly, you can tell your taxi driver the name of your building, and they will know where it is. (“Necesito ir al Edificio Gónzalez.” – I need to go to the Gónzalez Building.)
Ordering Food and Drinks
Ecuadorian food in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is primarily a plate of meat (chicken, beef, or pork), beans or lentils, and rice or french fries. The usual fare on the coast, such as in Manta, will be fish, shrimp, and other seafood, which makes sense. In mountain towns south of Quito – such as Cuenca and Loja – meat is often served with mote (corn hominy). We aren’t big fans of mote, unfortunately.
Another standard meal in major Ecuadorian cities is American fast food. You’ll see plenty of Burger King, McDonald’s, and KFC locations, especially at malls. Burger King has the best deal – two Whopper combos for $10 in most areas – but upgrade to a larger size as the small combo is small.

If you are gluten-free, please read our Guide to Gluten-Free Food in Quito. We are gluten-free, and there is plenty of gluten-free food in Quito and in Ecuador as a whole. We provide more Spanish phrases and words in our Gluten-Free Guide specific to allergies. But in the meantime, here are some Ecuador language terms in Spanish you should know:
- Para servicio/para acá – For Here (you’ll eat at the restaurant)
- Para llevar – To go or for carryout.
- Para tomar? – What would you like to drink? (In Spanish, no one – and I mean no one – says para beber, which literally means to drink.)
- Bebidas – drinks
- Entradas – Appetizers
- Platos Fuertes – Main Courses (the “strong plates”)
- Postres – Deserts
- La cuenta, por favor – The check, please.
- Propina – tip. You only tip at restaurants in Ecuador if they are high-end or it specifically says you need to tip. But for your under $20 restaurants, no one tips or asks.
- Sin/con – Without/with (sin gluten is without gluten, for example)
- Picante – spicy. (Okay, picante in Mexico and picante in Ecuador mean two different things. Picante in Mexico means your mouth is on fire. Picante in Ecuador means Oh, the chef added some chili pepper to the dish.)
- Acompañantes – Side dishes
- Helado – Ice Cream
- Salsa de tomate – Ketchup
- Mostaza – Mustard
- Mayonesa – Mayonnaise
- Agua sin gas – still or natural water
- Agua con gas – carbonated or soda water
- Supermercado – Supermarket. In Ecuador, the largest chain is Supermaxi/Megamaxi. A supermarket is a U.S.-style supermarket.
- Mercado – market. On the other hand, a mercado is more of an inside Farmer’s Market with individual stalls selling meat, fruit, and vegetables. Mercados are common in Ecuador, even in a big city like Quito.
- Tengo hambre/sed. – I am hungry or thirsty.
*Important note when ordering* First, tax (IVA in Spanish) is included in the price in 99% of restaurants, so don’t expect an additional tax at the end (unless the menu says IVA no está incluido). Second, right before you pay, the cashier will ask you a question with the phrase “consumidor final” (assuming the bill is under $50). If you are a tourist, generally, the answer is yes (Sí). The cashier is asking if you want to provide your tax information to the government to use the receipt for tax purposes. If the bill is $50 or more, however, you generally have to provide your ID details, which, for a tourist, is a passport.

Emergencies and Seeking Help
One of my greatest fears is needing emergency care in a foreign country and not speaking the local Ecuador language, Spanish. Again, Google Translate will help out here, and we strongly recommend downloading it before you arrive on your phone.
In Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca, you can expect someone to speak English at a hospital or a police station. It doesn’t mean they will be fluent or immediately available, but chances are, in these three cities, someone who speaks English well enough to communicate with you is on duty.
Outside of these three cities, the chances of someone being on duty and speaking English at a high enough level to communicate with you in an emergency will fall rapidly with the size of the city. Again, you will want quick access to Google Translate in an emergency. Make sure you download the offline version on your phone before arriving.

Here are some tips we have, hoping that you never have to use them:
- 911 is the national emergency number, but don’t expect an English-speaking operator immediately.
- Hospital is a hospital for emergencies and surgeries (H is silent in Spanish, so it is an Os-pi-tal). But a clínica is a clinic and is for non-emergency situations.
- If you bought travel insurance – and you should be buying travel insurance – make sure to have the Concierge’s phone number ready. Unless it is an immediate emergency, it may be better to call your travel insurance concierge first, especially if you are in a smaller city in Ecuador.
- Estoy enfermo(a). – I am sick. Use enfermo if you are a guy and enferma if you are a woman.
- Me duele… – This part hurts. If your stomach hurts (I have a stomachache), you say, “me duele el estómago.” But if you don’t know the word for what is hurting, point and say “me duele.”
- Sangre – blood.
- Policía – Police. You don’t pronounce this in Spanish as po-LI-see-ya (like police in English). It is po-li-SEE-ya. In Ecuador, the Policía Nacional police every city, and they wear brown uniforms, often with bright yellow jackets that clearly say police on them. They also drive white cars with a single blue stripe that says ECU 911.
- Tengo seguro médico. – I have medical insurance.
- Pastillas – pills
- Medicamentos – medications or prescriptions.
- Drogas – drugs. Please try to say pastillas or medicamentos instead of drogas so there is no miscommunication and you wind up needing to know the word for lawyer (abogado).
- Yanagihara, Wendy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 07/23/2024 (Publication Date) - Lonely Planet (Publisher)
Last update on 2025-02-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Final Ecuador Language Tips
Ecuador is a middle-income country with links to the United States. Thus, you will find English speakers, especially in tourist hotspots and major hotel chains. But Ecuador is also not a top tourist destination, and as other Spanish-speaking countries surround the country, English is not a high priority.
Although Ecuadorians are incredibly patient and friendly, don’t take advantage of that. Using a few Spanish words will go a long way to making communication easier. And for everything else, pull out your phone and use Google Translate!
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Very educational. Detailed, lots of tips & tricks, and solid information. I really enjoy all of your articles, because you teach so much information, and I learn a lot from each article.