what language does uruguay speak

Uruguay speaks Spanish as its official and most widely used language. In daily life, you’ll also hear Rioplatense Spanish , plus some Portuguese, English, and Italian in certain communities.

Quick Scoop

• Official language: Spanish.

• Common local variety: Rioplatense Spanish, the regional Spanish used in Uruguay and nearby areas.

• Other languages heard: Portuguese near the Brazilian border, English in business and tourism, and Italian among some immigrant-descended communities.

In plain terms

If you’re visiting or chatting with someone from Uruguay, Spanish is the language you’ll use most of the time. The Uruguayan accent and vocabulary can sound a bit different from Spanish spoken in Spain or Mexico, but it’s still standard Spanish at its core.

Bottom note

A simple way to put it: Uruguay speaks Spanish , with a distinctive local flavor.