What's the language most often spoken in Nicaragua? Can I get by if I just speak English?
Valeria Espinoza - Gran Pacifica
The most spoken language in Nicaragua is Spanish, spoken by 95% of the population. If you go to the Atlantic Coast, you will find some other languages in different communities, like Garifuna, Miskito and Nicaragua Creole English.
If you only speak English and plan to live in Nicaragua full time, we do encourage that you learn the basics of the language to get around. Nicaraguans are very helpful and willing to assist you if we see a foreigner in...
The most spoken language in Nicaragua is Spanish, spoken by 95% of the population. If you go to the Atlantic Coast, you will find some other languages in different communities, like Garifuna, Miskito and Nicaragua Creole English.
If you only speak English and plan to live in Nicaragua full time, we do encourage that you learn the basics of the language to get around. Nicaraguans are very helpful and willing to assist you if we see a foreigner in trouble or needing our help. However it's always good when you know at least the basics of the language in case you are in a remote village or main road and no one speaks English.
Many people who has retired or moved to Nicaragua for their businesses have come without knowing one word of Spanish, and after a month or two, they know the basics and have learned more than they ever thought they would.
Nowadays, more and more Nicaraguans are learning English too, so in Managua, you will now find English speaking people working in stores, supermarkets, banks, and restaurants, so it's getting easier for foreigners to live here.
Posted January 31, 2014
Tanya Hartill - NicaTour Group
I'm a strong believer that if you are moving to a new country, you should learn the language. Too often I have seen older people in my own country, Canada, immigrants - who cannot speak a word of English. They are left "outside" of the society in which they live.
The same thing goes if you move to Nicaragua. Learn Spanish. It will make life so much easier and you won't be "left outside" of the new world in which you...
I'm a strong believer that if you are moving to a new country, you should learn the language. Too often I have seen older people in my own country, Canada, immigrants - who cannot speak a word of English. They are left "outside" of the society in which they live.
The same thing goes if you move to Nicaragua. Learn Spanish. It will make life so much easier and you won't be "left outside" of the new world in which you choose to live.
Posted March 4, 2014
Immanuel Zerger - Solentiname Tours - Discover Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, you may be able to get by with just English in the supermarkets and other places that offer services, but definitely not everywhere. It will be bit difficult if you only speak English. If you are lucky, you might be able to find someone who can translate for you, but it is not certain that you will always find such a person. All the hotels have taxi services and the drivers can speak English. They can take you around and translate for you. Or you...
In Nicaragua, you may be able to get by with just English in the supermarkets and other places that offer services, but definitely not everywhere. It will be bit difficult if you only speak English. If you are lucky, you might be able to find someone who can translate for you, but it is not certain that you will always find such a person. All the hotels have taxi services and the drivers can speak English. They can take you around and translate for you. Or you can take a tour guide and get better assistance.
It is easier to find English speakers in Managua, in the colonial cities (Granada, Leon), and in San Juan Del Sur, especially at the hotels and in the supermarkets or in the malls. When you go out to the countryside, you will find very few English speakers or there might be none. The local people who live in the Caribbean coast and the Indian communities there hardly speak Spanish. They speak Creole, which is 85% English, in Bluefields, Corn Island, Laguna Perlas, and in Puerto Caresas. (Little Corn Island, pictured.)
Posted January 19, 2015
Carolyn Membreño - León Travel Bureau
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(Baseball player, Wilton Lopez from Leon, Nicaragua,...
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(Baseball player, Wilton Lopez from Leon, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted January 27, 2016
Marissa Gabrielle Lolk - Jireh Dental Care
I saw a couple of Asians who were really struggling and...
I saw a couple of Asians who were really struggling and the guy tried speaking in English. The girl at the counter tells him that she doesn’t understand what he’s saying so I intervened for him and he looked like he had the biggest relief ever. You do need Spanish because Nicaragua is a Spanish-speaking country, unless you go to the Atlantic side, where you can go and speak English all you want.
If you go to the expat areas, then you don’t have to speak Spanish. My husband has gotten around for 3 or 4 years here in Nicaragua without speaking ANY Spanish but he also had me. If you have somebody who can help you out then you’re good to go. Now my husband can speak mediocre Spanish; he can order stuff on the phone and make himself understood.
(Marissa Lolk's Danish husband dressed as a Viking representing Norway in a parade in Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted April 16, 2016
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
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I would, however, definitely recommended that you pick up a little bit of Spanish just as I would recommend you pick up a little bit of Spanish anywhere else you decide live in Latin America; at least...
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I would, however, definitely recommended that you pick up a little bit of Spanish just as I would recommend you pick up a little bit of Spanish anywhere else you decide live in Latin America; at least the basics to get around. Doing this would be a very helpful for anybody thinking about retiring down here. It’s very easy to get the basics when it comes to speaking Spanish and Nicaraguans are very patient people so there’s no rush in trying to be a perfect Spanish speaking person.
By “the basics”, I mean to learn things such as “Where’s the bathroom?,” “How much does this cost?,” etc. With just this, you could get by. After that, I would recommend that anybody who comes to live in Nicaragua should learn a little bit of Spanish just to get along with people in a way where you can understand them and they’ll better understand you; just a good well-rounded two or three thousand word vocabulary where you can start to put sentences together.
In Nicaragua as in many parts of Latin America we speak Spanish very quickly. The average person when they catch on to the fact that you’re not a fluent Spanish speaking person will usually slow it down so that you can understand better.
(Expats and their Nicaragua hosts, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted May 17, 2016
Paul Daemen - Aurora Granada
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I am fortunate that my fiancee and I speak Spanish; therefore we hear more and understand our surroundings better. Yes, there are quite a few expats that have been here more...
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I am fortunate that my fiancee and I speak Spanish; therefore we hear more and understand our surroundings better. Yes, there are quite a few expats that have been here more than 10 years that have picked up a few words, but have not fully embraced to learn the language. They still seem happy and are integrating well. But we have always made an effort to learn the local language. It's fun and a great learning experience.
(Pictured: La Calzada, Granada, Nicaragua, at night.)
Posted December 25, 2017