In Perú there is a language known as Quechua. This language was spoken in the Incan Empire and is spoken by people mainly in the Andes mountains. While I don’t speak the language personally, and I probably won’t ever truly learn it, in my opinion, it is still one of the most fascinating things to listen to.
I have many friends from the Peruvian Andes who speak both Spanish and Quechua. If you ever have the chance to listen – cluelessly – in on a conversation, it’s an incredible experience.
Since moving to Perú I’ve been learning a few words in Quechua, and honestly, they’re probably some of the most fun words to say. In today’s post, I thought it would be exciting to learn a couple of words not only in Spanish but also in Quechua. To help keep things clear, the format of this post will be Spanish – Quechua – English, and I’ve also asked my brother-in-law if he can pronounce these for you both in Spanish and Quechua.
I know these won’t give you complete sentences that you can regularly use in your daily life, but I hope you’ll still find them as fun and exciting to learn as I do. Now let’s go!
Estrella – Chaska – Star
You may notice that most of these words are something you can find in nature and everyday life. I can’t really make sense of the Quechua language in sentences, but if you give me something to look at and point to, I’m much more likely to retain that word.
Here, I can point to the sky at night and spot the estrellas (or the chaskas). To me, both the Spanish and Quechua words are fun to say, which hopefully means I won’t forget either word anytime soon.
Luna – Killa – Moon
Following the same lines as the previous one, the word for moon in Spanish is luna and in Quechua it’s killa. This is a great word to know because now, you too can wander around at night and aimlessly point at the sky with your two Quechua words.
Montaña – Apu – Mountain
In the Andes, there are many mountains, including the famous Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) and the Huascarán Mountain, which is the highest mountain in Perú.
Peruvians are very respectful of the apus because they believe they have life. The relationship between the people and these apus goes beyond geography; it’s a spiritual connection that has persisted for centuries. This cultural significance adds an extra layer of wonder to the already awe-inspiring landscapes of Perú’s mountains.
Sol – Inti – Sun
The Incan history tells us that they honor the sun because they believed it was their father, the Inti, and the moon, the Killa, is their mother. In Cusco they still to this day have Fiesta de la Sol, which is the festival of the sun. Its official name is Inti Raymi.
Colibri – Pillpinto – hummingbird
Hummingbirds are so pretty when you see them in person, and just as pretty, is their name in Spanish and Quechua. Colibri or pillpinto.
In the countryside of Perú, we often see many colibris in the summer. Getting to just sit and watch as they dance from flower to flower is such a beautiful site to see.
Corazón – Sunqu – Heart
A lot of songs in Quechua specifically sing about the heart. If you listen closely when you hear a song, I’m sure you can spot it. Though it may sound like a slightly different version in the song. For example, in one song they say, “Sunqu suwa” meaning heart stealer.
Amor – Munay – Love
Amor can mean multiple things. It could mean the literal word for love or passion.
Or in Hispanic cultures, people use it like we use babe or baby. Instead of saying “My love” I could say “Mi amor.” I hear my brother-in-law often say to his girlfriend, “Amor,” I interpret this the same way someone would call out to their partner, “Babe.”
Cariñito – Sonquchallay – Darling
Cariñito is a sweet, or cute way of expressing endearment to your loved one. Like saying, honey, sweetie, or darling.
It’s fun to learn words in other languages for things you hear a lot in your daily life. Or at least, I used to hear it more when I lived in the States.
Fuego – Nina – Fire
In October in Perú there is a festival called Fiesta Patronal de la Virgen del Rosario in Sancos, Perú, you can read more about it here. The reason why I bring it up is because of the huge bonfire called a chamiso that’s a major part of this festival. These two chamisos are the biggest I’ve ever seen!
It was so cool to attend this event and see all the Peruvian culture, listen to the music and dance all through the night around the fuego.
Ojos – Ñawi – Eyes
Living in Perú has given me the opportunity to see the world from a different view. Learning a new language like Spanish or Quechua helps me to not just see the differences with my eyes, but also to experience life in a new country firsthand.
Dinero – Qullqi – Money
Money…money…money. Money talks. And now, you can talk about it too.
Rico – Añañau – Yummy
Sometimes I learn new words, like añañau, and I find them so fun to say, that I replace the Spanish and English versions in my everyday life. Although, I do use the Quechua word in somewhat inappropriate settings, simply because not everyone knows what I’m saying with this strange-sounding word.
My brother and I learned about this word together when visiting a town in the Andes known as Cora-Cora. We must have said it a couple dozen times each the first day we learned about it because it is so fun to say. You should try it!
Despeinada – Champa uma – Crazy hair
If you need to know what people are talking about in Spanish or Quechua when they keep looking at your crazy bedhead, these are going to be the words you’ll want to listen for. Hypothetically, hopefully, you’ve already tamed your crazy hair before leaving the house, but you never know. Maybe you need to know these things?
I hope you found these words as fun and exciting as I do! Did you find this post helpful? What’s one thing you liked and one thing you didn’t? Let me know in the comments!
Additionally, check out some of these other posts:
- The Best Way To Improve Conversational Spanish Quickly
- How To Tell Someone You Love Them In Spanish
- How To Talk About Pain In Spanish: Vocabulary Lessons
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