Immersive Spanish - Immersive Spanish - Colombia Adventure - Episode 5 - Medellín Rooftop Bar

Episode Date: August 20, 2026

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Season 7, Episode 5. Hello, Villegeros, and welcome back to Immersive Spanish. Well, the sun is setting over Medellijian, and I'm on my way to a rooftop bar that I saw online. It seems to have amazing views of the city. It's called Messiah in El Poblado, and it's apparently the place to be for meeting other travelers. So, well, here it is. It does look like a hotel. How do I get onto the roof?

Ah, this sign says, Toma el Esensor Astel bar de la sothea. Okay, while we climb to the rooftop, let's make sense of that sign I just read. Listen to this. Take the elevator. Toma el ascensor.

Toma el ascensor. ascending ascensor. Until the bar. Asta el bar. Asta el bar. Of the rooftop. De la asotea. De la sotea.

Altogether. Toma the ascensor to the bar de la sotea. Go on then. Have a genuine go at saying that. Toma the ascensor to the bar of the sothea.

Your turn. Never forget how important Spanish output is unless of course you want to be a mute. Well, yeah we're getting to the sothea. Whoa, what

maravia. The view is breathtaking. From here, you can see the whole of Medellín. Oh. And there's even a pool. The sun is setting.

The sun is setting. And you know what? It is a little bit cloudy, but beautiful nonetheless. And yeah, guess what? There are a handful of fellow travelers. Vieheros, as we call them, dotted around. Seemed to be drinking beers and cocktails, having a good time. Right.

Let's go and get a drink ourselves. Hello, how is it? Well, how is you? No, me I can't quech. What do you? We need to take. We have a promotion

of Margaritas this night. Two for one. Really? But, no, I want to take my two a hour. You can't

ask the two now and go back for the second when he's in serious? Well, we'll,

we'll do that so, then. Two margaritas but one hour. Excellent. Yeah,

I haven't had a margarita for a good while, actually. Let me break down some of that interaction while she makes it. I started by asking, Como ista? Como? Ista? You know that this is the formal way of saying, How are you?

She then asked me the same thing back, and I replied, No me puido kejer. no me puido keher and this means i can't complain it's a really natural response when someone asks you how you are i can't complain no me puldo kejard she then asked what i want to take what would you like to drink to tomar is the important word here tomar which in this context means not take but to drink.

She then told me, We have a promotion of margaritas this night. We have a margarita promotion tonight. We have a margarita promotion tonight. And then two for one.

Can you guess what? one means? Well, two for one, that's it. I would say that's very important Spanish to learn if you're going to a bar. And of course, I was surprised, so I said, de veraidad. Of truth?

De verad. Really? Seriously? De verad. Next time you're in disbelief? De veraerdad. So then I said, But, But, but...

But... But... No... ...to... ...to... ...but... ...to... ...but...

...but... ...I don't want to drink two right now. ...pere no... ...to take two now. ...and of course, if I had to pick the most useful part of this phrase, it would be... ...no-chiero... ...meaning I don't want.

...the kind. lady then explained, Pue Pede Pellier las two now. Then she said And Volver Pua de Ségonde Whene listo.

Which means, and come back for the second one when you're ready. I can't walk away of two drinks for myself, so this is actually very handy. Wah, this has very good pinta.

Are fuertes? Are to pay with a targeta? Yes, thanks. Wuelvo very Pronto for the second. After Pronto.

Let me walk over to a table. I don't want to spill it. She's filled it right up to the top she has. Now, I said, This has. I'll say it again. Listen. This

This has very very good pinta. This means This looks very good. This looks really good. You're here Tener Buena

all the time when talking about food or drinks. Ah, Tiené Buena Pinta. It looks good. And if something looks really good,

Tiené Mui Buena Pinta. Tienne Moy Buena Pinta. You should know that Pinta

literally relates to appearance. So rather than translating every word, just remember the whole expression. If it helps, I think of a painter painting something. If it looks good, Buena Pinta. If it looks bad, malapinta. So, Tener Buena Pinta is to look good. Right then, let's see. We need to find a table. Oh, this one's free. And, oh, come on. Look at that view. You can see the whole city from here.

You can see the whole city from here. Toadier not have tried. Wait. Foo. It's a very strong, man. But it's a good. Ayer, I'm

demasiatas. Now only I'm this. What is that? This is called Ron de Caldas. It's excellent. I don't know solo with yellow. Ah, yeah. It's good.

You have to prove it. When I'm this, I'm going to buy one for each one. In serious? Well, muchismas

thanks. Then, I'mvito I'm the next. How you call? Calf.

Encantado. How do you you? Me, I'm, Miguel. Where are you? I'm from

London, England. In serious? Really? You? You're speaking? Thanks. And you,

of where are you? I like your accent. I'm a lot really. I'm from Costa Rica. It's my first

in Colombia and me really. Excellent. Costa Rica. Costa Rica. Costa Rica is pretty

so or no? Yes, you, you know, you're going to go some day. There's

there playas, natural and good food. I've heard that is

a very car. Is it's very? Compared to Colombia,

but you can find places for money and go to get a rato

if you know the area. Although so, for the tourists

is very very so sure. Well, now I'm

back with rones of caldas a moment wait

I'm no me move here here Miguel nice

guy so did you catch all of that Miguel is from Costa Rica We got chatting

And he asked me if I liked the margaritas here I hadn't actually tried mine yet So I took a sip And I told him that it was strong But really good I said It'sa very fervte But it'sa

Buenissima It's very Ferte But Ista Buenisima Fuerte meaning strong.

So if you're talking about a strong drink, ista muy very strong. It's a very strong coffee. Or maybe a strong coffee. El cafe is tam muy ferte.

El cafe is ta very very so then Miguel told me he'd had a few too many margaritas

yesterday. He said ayer to me Demasias. Ager tome demasias Which means yesterday I drank too many.

Demasio means too much. Here he says Demasias meaning too many and that's because it matches Margaditas. Which is feminine and plural. Demasiatas

Margaditas. He then showed me his drink and said now solo tomo this Now, solo, I'mo this Now,

before I reveal the meaning of Now I'm just tome This, can you take an educated guess? It does mean that Now I only drink this And what it was that he was drinking was

Ron Viejo de Caldas A Colombian rum Just with ice He then said, Tienes to probarro. Tienes

to prove it. Meaning, you have to try it. Now, I have to say, this is a very useful

phrase when you're recommending something. If there's something that you really enjoy and you want others to try it,

Tienes to probarlo. Tienes to probarrolo. So, lo, at the end of

probarlo, means it. It, lo. Notice how it attaches to the end of Probar. To try? Probarlo. To try it.

He then offered to buy us both one drink when he'd finished his, which, obviously, I wasn't going to turn down. So I told him, Despoe envito yo to the Siguente. Let's slow that down. Despoise

Te. Invito. I I'll Siguente Meaning afterwards I'll get you the next one

Focus your attention to the phrase Te invito Te invito Now this means you I invite I invite you But when you're talking about food or drinks It's like saying

It's on me I'll get this one I'm inviting you To the drinks So then, after telling him I would buy the next round, I asked him where he was from, and that's because I liked his accent. There don't there it is. But you guys know that one by now, right? There, don't there, is.

Where are you from? Or literally, from where do you come? To which he told me, soi de Costa Rica. Soi, de Costa Rica. Then, before I knew it, the good. Guy had already finished his drink, and well, he headed off straight to the bar to get us both some rum. Here you have, herman. Muchismas, gracias.

Salud. Salud. Wow. That's suave, friend. It's a good. Normally, not tom ron solo. It's del bueno. Oye, how long time you've been in Colombia?

I'm here, but I've passed a few months here before. It was here where I learned Spanish of the Oh, that's you know

that's a cent Colombian Exactly I'm I'm I'm here a few

of you know has learned much has been much yeah

yeah of actually how you have you come

you're I'm you want to you're a chimba

chimba what means if if something you can

say what chimba For example, this errone, what chimba. Ah, okay, what chimba.

Exactly. And, also you can use it to be a person. For example, if someone is genial, good people,

you can say, you're a chimba. Like you, you're a chimba. Thank you, so, then you too also,

you're a chimba. Thank you. Very, much gracias Go to Boi al banio Well Right, let me

quickly explain what happened there whilst he goes to the toilet Miguel came back from the bar with the rum and he said

Here you're Irmano Here you're Here you go brother We then said Salud Salud Now Salud

is what Spanish speakers say When they toast Literally it means Health Which is a nice thing a toaster, isn't it? I tried the rum and said,

Ke suave, ista goodissimo. Que suave is ta goodissimo. Which basically means, wow, that's really smooth. Smooth, suave.

Smooth, suave. Miguel then asked me, how time you've got to time you've, in Colombia? which means how long have you been in Colombia?

So I explained that I'd only arrived yesterday, but that I'd spent a few months here before, and that Colombia was where I really learned to speak Spanish. Miguel said that explained my Colombian accent, and then asked whether I'd learned much Colombian slang. Has aprendido much herga Colombian? Has aprendido much herga Colombiana.

Heriga meaning slang Now Miguel had only just arrived in Colombia whereas I'd already spent quite a bit of time here in previous years So I decided to teach him one of my favourite Colombian words Chimba Chimba If something is really good or awesome

Columbians, especially from Medellin love to say what chimba so I ke chimba so I took a sip of the rum and said Este ron what chimba

Este ron what chimba Basically this rum is awesome but you can also use chimba to describe a person I said to Miguel you're a chimba

It is One Chimba Which in this context is basically You're awesome, you're amazing Or in British English I'd probably translate it as You're a legend I mean, Miguel, I've known this guy for about

No longer than ten minutes He's bought me a rum I've taught him some Colombian slang And now we're calling each other legends Yeah Chimba Cap, I present to my friend Georgina.

It's Italian, but about the Spanish better than I. Hello Georgina. Encantated

to know you. Kav, right? Yeah, Kav. Like a coffee,

but with V. Okay. Okay. Oh, okay, Miguel and we

going to a bar dance this night to be with us you?

Mm. No see. The The truth is that no I've done much. Well,

no say to be a lot of salsa. Cav, it's only to do you

to be to be to be to be well, it's well, it's

good, let me terminate this rome first no time

take it's well, well, well, well, let's let's,

we're we're we're we're we right, right guys,

Miguel introduced me to his friend Georgina whose or is Italian but I'm Spanish mejor than I

This means she's Italian but she speaks Spanish better than me And let me tell you her Spanish really was good She then told me that She and Miguel were going to a saucer bar tonight And asked Quillés Venir con Nosotros Quirees

Venir with us With nosotros Meaning do you want to come with us Now, I'm not much of a dancer myself, and I definitely don't know how to dance salsa. So I said, No se bailar salsa. No se balar salsa. I don't know how to dance salsa.

But Miguel wasn't taking no for an answer, so he told me, Nadie te va husker. Nadie Te va a husker meaning

nobody is going to judge you and that it was just a bit of fun so I agreed but first I wanted to finish my rum Miguel had other ideas no time Tomatelro

rapido Tomatelro rapido Basically there's no time drink it quickly Tomatelro rapid Tomatelro rapid So we finished our drinks

And apparently I'm going salsa dancing Guys this should be interesting We'll pick things up from there in the next episode Meanwhile If you'd like to support Amersa Spanish And listen completely ad-free Head over to our Patreon

Where you'll find full transcripts, vocabulary lists, bonus episodes And photos from my journey through Colombia You can also subscribe to the Immersive Spanish YouTube channel where you can actually watch me out in the Spanish speaking world, visiting these places and interacting with locals. And if you really want to take your Spanish to the next level, check out the immersive Spanish Fluency Builder app.

With the immersive Spanish Fluency Builder app, you can practice a vocabulary and conversations from the podcast with interactive exercises, quizzes and speaking practice. Well, my gente, muchizema, thanks for escutcheer, and I'll see you at the salsa bar. Until the next. Adios.