{"id":144387,"date":"2018-07-12T00:55:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-12T04:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/paraguayan-spanish\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T09:24:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T14:24:09","slug":"paraguayan-spanish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/paraguayan-spanish\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Paraguayan Spanish"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re planning to visit or live in Paraguay, or you want to connect with some Paraguayan friends, you’ve got to learn Paraguayan Spanish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Keep reading to learn more about what makes Paraguayan Spanish unique from other varieties of Spanish. We’ll give you some key tips that will help you connect with Paraguayans and sound more like a local.
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What is Paraguayan Spanish?<\/h2>\n

Paraguayan Spanish is the variant of Spanish spoken in the country of Paraguay. It has several distinctive features influenced by the country’s history, geography and bilingual culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paraguayan Spanish is significantly influenced by Guaran\u00ed<\/strong>, an indigenous language widely spoken in Paraguay<\/a>. Guaran\u00ed was established as a co-official language of Paraguay alongside Spanish and is taught in schools across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When learning Paraguayan Spanish, you’ll find many words that are borrowed from Guaran\u00ed, especially for everyday items, food and cultural concepts. For example, mandioca<\/em> (cassava) and chipa<\/em> (a type of bread) are Guaran\u00ed terms used commonly in Paraguayan Spanish.<\/p>\n

You can hear Guaran\u00ed spoken by a native Paraguayan in this video, with a bit of Spanish mixed in:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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History of Paraguayan Spanish<\/h2>\n

Paraguayan Spanish has its roots in the colonial period when Spanish conquistadors and missionaries arrived in the 16th century. The Spanish Crown established the Governorate of Paraguay, and Asunci\u00f3n, the capital, became a hub for Spanish settlement and influence.<\/p>\n

Guaran\u00ed was the dominant indigenous language in Paraguay before the arrival of the Spanish. Over time, Spanish and Guaran\u00ed languages merged<\/strong>, creating a unique bilingual society.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After gaining independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay experienced a series of political changes. Despite various regimes, the coexistence of Spanish and Guaran\u00ed continued. Due to Paraguay’s geographic isolation, the region developed its own distinctive Spanish dialect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the 20th century, urbanization and modernization influenced the spread and use of Spanish, particularly in cities. Spanish became the primary language of education, government and business<\/strong>, while Guaran\u00ed remained prevalent in rural areas and everyday communication. Today, many Paraguayans speak Jopara<\/a>, a mix of Spanish and Guaran\u00ed.<\/p>\n

Cultural Aspects of Paraguayan Spanish<\/h2>\n

The interplay between Spanish and Guaran\u00ed is a significant part of Paraguayan cultural identity. It reflects the country\u2019s history and the ongoing influence of indigenous culture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Media in Paraguay, including newspapers, television and radio, often utilize both languages. Literature and music also reflect this bilingual nature, with many works blending Spanish and Guaran\u00ed to convey the Paraguayan experience.<\/p>\n

This blend of languages and cultures has created a distinctive linguistic and cultural landscape, characterized by widespread bilingualism<\/strong> and mutual influence between Spanish and Guaran\u00ed.<\/p>\n

How to Speak Paraguayan Spanish<\/h2>\n

The pronunciation in Paraguayan Spanish tends to be softer and more nasal<\/strong>, influenced by Guaran\u00ed phonetics. There’s also a distinctive intonation pattern that sets it apart from other Spanish dialects.<\/p>\n

In addition to pronunciation and vocabulary, Guaran\u00ed influence can be seen in the sentence structure and the use of certain grammatical forms in Paraguayan Spanish. For example, the frequent use of diminutives<\/strong> and the repetition of subject pronouns<\/strong> for emphasis.<\/p>\n

This video includes a few examples of different paraguayos<\/em> (Paraguayans) speaking the language:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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As in any country around the world, Spanish won’t sound exactly the same in all regions of Paraguay. However, there are some overarching tips that will make learning Paraguayan Spanish easier.<\/p>\n

Turn the “S” into a Soft “H”<\/h3>\n

Paraguayan people will often turn an “s” into a soft “h.” Talking to a Paraguayan friend, you may notice that the expression m\u00e1s o menos<\/em> (more or less) would sound like “m\u00e1h o m\u00e9no.” The word espa\u00f1ol<\/em> (Spanish) would also sound like \u201cehpa\u00f1ol.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other examples are estamos<\/em> (we are), which would be pronounced “ehtamo,” and hasta<\/em> (until), which would likely sound like “ahta.” Check out how this sounds when spoken by a Paraguayan:<\/p>\n

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Pay Attention to “R” and “Tr”<\/h3>\n

In some regions of Paraguay, the letters “tr” as in trabajo<\/em> (work), trio<\/em> (trio) or trampa<\/em> (trap) could be pronounced with the sound of a very soft, quick “tch.” Think “tchabajo,” “tchio” or “tchampa.”<\/p>\n

Additionally, it’s not uncommon for the \u201cr\u201d at the end of a word to be strongly pronounced and somewhat exaggerated when talking enthusiastically, fervently or jokingly about a topic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not only does this strong “r” sound flow easily within the language, it also helps the message come across as funnier or stronger:<\/p>\n

\u00bfD\u00f3nde est\u00e1 mi celularrrrrr?<\/em> (Where’s my cellphone?)<\/p>\n

In some variations of Paraguayan Spanish, the \u201cr\u201d will be pronounced very similarly to English, and only in particular words within a sentence\u2014you can see how that would sound in this Paraguayan YouTuber’s video between the 0:11 to 0:16 mark:<\/p>\n

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Turn the “Y” at the Beginning of Words into a Soft “J”\u00a0<\/h3>\n

When at the beginning of a word, it’s extremely common for the letter “y” to be pronounced as a soft “j.” For example:<\/p>\n