Driving through San Salvador can be and actually is hectic. The huge traffic jams in El Salvador del Mundo and nearby places are just pure chaos, and you may be more comfortable sitting on the passenger seat instead of the driver’s. However, those awkward silent moments can be a little stressful when you want to ask the driver something but you don’t know how.
Good thing I am about to give you some tips to talk to the Uber, Indrive, or Taxi drivers if you are the talkative passenger type. If not, then maybe some phrases will be helpful someday.
The Apps
Before we deep dive into the phrases, you need to know that in El Salvador, there are two major ridesharing apps: Uber and Indrive. Recently, Nostr Ride, a newly introduced decentralized, open-source Salvadoran app, was released. It cuts out platform commission fees so 100% of the fare goes directly to the driver. It supports cash payments as well as Bitcoin.
Uber is the most common one and the most used app among Salvadorans. It accepts card, cash, or Uber credit as payment methods. Indrive only accepts payments in cash, so if you want to go around for cheaper prices and pay in cash, this is the app. However, because of its cheaper prices, the cars are also older. Nostr Ride is not even released. It’s currently in beta, so there are only a few people who have tried it, but in the future, this can be a huge platform that can be a good alternative to Uber.
You can also go for the taxis. They are almost everywhere, and you don’t need to wait too much time for them to pick you up. Sometimes, you arrive faster than in an Uber or Indrive because the “Taxistas” know the shortcuts instead of following Waze or Google Maps. Of course, because of that, the cars are usually well taken care of, especially the ones in malls, bus terminals, or the airport, and the price is higher than the apps.
The Price Difference
To give you an example, from my house to El Salvador del Mundo the Uber ride is usually around $3USD to $4USD while in a taxi it can be $5. $1 difference? Well, yes, but remember that for the majority of Salvadoran families that is a huge change. Let me give you another example, from Walmart Blvd. Constitución to Santa Tecla is a $10USD ride in a taxi, while in Uber can be for $6.50. A Canadian friend used to take Uber from San Salvador to Santa Ana for $30USD, while a Taxi can cost up to $50USD.
I know that these prices may be way cheaper than in Canada or the U.S. and it may be a good idea for you to go around the city in any of the options. So, it’s up to you to choose which one you pick.
How long have you done this?
Trying to create a conversation is difficult at the beginning, but let’s focus on basic Spanish phrases that can help you get around. For example, when you get in the car, to give the code you can say: ¡Aquí está el código! (Here’s the code) and then show it to the driver, or if you know the numbers in Spanish: “El código es:” (The code is) and then say the code.
If the driver says he can speak English, good of you, I mean, probably the driver may try to practice his English with you and try to make you feel comfortable. On the other hand, if the driver doesn’t speak English, then it is your time to shine and show some good Spanish skill and the driver will be grateful to make the trip less silent and boring.
Now to start a conversation, you can say where you are from by saying: “Soy de (country)“ or simply “Soy (Nationality)” for example, if you are from England, you can say: “Soy de Inglaterra” or “Soy Inglés”. If you come due to a business trip: “Vengo por un viaje de negocios (I come because of a business trip)” or if you are on vacation “Vengo de vacaciones”.
Some drivers know good places to have fun or simply have a nice dinner, and you can ask: ¿Qué lugares para cenar me recomienda visitar” (what places to dine do you recommend to visit?) just change “Cenar” for any other activity like “comer, divertirse, desayunar, bailar, pasear”.
Now, if you just want to build rapport, you can ask: ¿Cómo ha estado su día? (how has your day been?) Remember that in Spanish we have three levels of politeness: Usted (very formal), Tú (Casual), Vos (Informal). The previous question is structured based on “usted” because we are polite and respect people we don’t know, especially if they are from another country.
Politeness is key
As mentioned, if you are polite, you will be treated as such. It doesn’t mean that if you say: ¿Qué ondas? (What’s up?) we are not going to answer you, it’s just that it’ll be a little odd and we will reply using “usted”: “Muy bien, ¿y usted?” (Very well, and you?).
Some Salvadorans are very friendly and they don’t care to be called “vos” because it is part of our daily language. This is very common between friends and people that are close to us like family or coworkers that we hang out with. Sometimes, this will even be heard between an employee and the boss because they might be really close.
There have been some cases where some foreigners have tried to “Vosear” Salvadorans as if they knew them from a long time ago, and that makes them sound arrogant because of the way they treat people. Once, a friend of mine felt insulted because a foreigner called him “hey maje, ¿a dónde está el baño?” (hey dude! Where’s the bathroom?). A simple question but really badly structured when it comes to the level of formality in Spanish. My friend and that guy didn’t know each other; it was the first time they were talking, and the guy just approached my friend calling him “maje” (this word has many meanings, but it can be good or bad depending on the context as it means both “friend” and “fool”).
If you want to avoid that and don’t know much about the slang or levels of formality, it’s better to stick with “Usted”: ¡Disculpe! ¿A dónde está el baño? (excuse me, where’s the bathroom?). This will save you countless awkward moments and some headaches and misunderstandings.
Final Words
I have given you a couple of phrases that are useful, and I also talked about the ridesharing platforms in El Salvador. This may help you get around the city, but to be honest, even though we speak Spanish, English is still spoken by many people around the city, and you might be lucky that everyone you speak with may speak English too.
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