George G. Says:
I’m part Mexican, and speak some Spanish. Would this help me in Uruguay, or is it different there?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi George,
Spanish is the official language of Uruguay, so your proficiency in the language will most certainly help you there. All official government business is conducted in Spanish, including the processes for visas and immigration.
There is some difference between the Spanish spoken in Uruguay and that spoken in Mexico, however.
The Spanish spoken in Uruguay and Argentina is known as Rioplatense Spanish (or more properly, as Rioplatense Castilian). It gets the name because the capitals of both Uruguay and Argentina are on the Río de la Plata.
The spoken Rioplatense Spanish includes a distinct Italian intonation. Italian place names are also very common, and are usually pronounced using Italian phonetics.
Italian is one of the most common second languages in Uruguay, along with English and Portuguese.
However, Uruguayans understand all kinds of Spanish—just like English speakers from the U.S. understand the English of people from the U.K. and Australia. So don’t worry about your Mexican Spanish being slightly different: people will understand you.
Read more about life in Uruguay here.
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