Speakers in Chile are known for talking fast, and the s at the end of a syllable is often soft or gone, so a phrase like los chilenos comes out as "loh chilenos". You get used to that by listening to Chilean Spanish you can mostly follow, which is called comprehensible input. Start with slow, clear material, and move to normal speed as it gets easier.
Pick material where most sentences hold about one new word. A beginner's first Chilean scene could be buying bread, and a later one a chat about once, the late-afternoon tea and bread. For classes, tutors and a language exchange, see our Chilean Spanish guide, and for the apps that teach it, our Chilean Spanish app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Spanish. You learn from Spanish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Chilean Spanish lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
Ask Poppy what al tiro means in a lesson about a busy morning.
Bubblegum won't play a podcast or film you found yourself. For Chilean voices, use the sections below.
- Lessons, news, and stories in Chilean Spanish, about things you like.
- Friends can use a familiar form like ¿tenís tiempo? and shop staff say usted, so you see how people address each other.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you read them again in new contexts.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- The voices read lessons in standard Latin American Spanish, without a Chilean accent of their own.
- You can't turn a book you own into a lesson. However, you can paste a passage into the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
These three are made for people learning Chilean Spanish, and they differ in speed and level.
| Podcast | What You Hear | Try It When |
|---|---|---|
| Slow Chilean Spanish | Short stories told in Chilean Spanish for learners who know the basics | You can read simple sentences and want a slower start |
| Chilean Spanish Podcast | Natalia Fontalva on Chilean slang, history and stories, with 103 episodes for intermediate learners | You can follow a story and want Chilean culture |
| Speaking Chilean slang po! | One Chilean slang word per episode, with only six episodes from 2022 | You want a quick lesson on a single word |
Play an episode once for the story, then again with the transcript if the show offers one. Some episodes of the Chilean Spanish Podcast are for paying listeners on Patreon.
When you find a Chilean show you like, these tools help you read along.
LingQ
Import an episode of a Chilean podcast, then tap each word you can't place. Because Chilean speech is quick, the written words make it easier to see where one ends and the next begins.
- Bring in a podcast episode, a YouTube video, or an article, and read it as you listen.
- It marks the words you haven't met yet.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Language Reactor
Use it on a Chilean YouTube channel and replay any line you missed until it sounds clear.
- Dual subtitles and a popup dictionary on Netflix and YouTube.
- Precise playback controls, so you can replay one line.
Browser extension
Ondamedia is a streaming site run by Chile's Ministry of Cultures, with Chilean films, documentaries and short films. Wikipedia says all viewing limits were removed in 2020, but it only confirms that the full catalog plays inside Chile, so check whether it opens where you live. For news, BioBioChile and Cooperativa are Chilean news sites, and reading a headline before you listen to a news clip makes the clip easier.
Which Chilean Spanish app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Spanish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. If you want a slower voice, try the Slow Chilean Spanish podcast, which tells short stories for learners.
Why is Chilean Spanish hard to follow at first?
Chilean speech is one of the fastest Spanish accents, and the s at the end of a syllable is often weakened or dropped. Words run together, so reading along while you listen and replaying short pieces helps most.
What do cachai and po mean?
Cachai is a casual way to ask "do you get it?", from the verb cachar, "to understand". Po is a small word that adds emphasis, a short form of pues. You'll hear both with friends more than in formal talk, so learn them from the scenes where you meet them.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Chilean Spanish (fast speech, s softening, al tiro, fome, cachai, voseo)
- Chilean Spanish Podcast, also called Español casi Perfecto (Apple Podcasts)
- Slow Chilean Spanish (Spreaker)
- Speaking Chilean slang po! (TuneIn)
- Wikipedia: Ondamedia (free Chilean films run by the Ministry of Cultures)
- Ondamedia (site)
- BioBioChile (Chilean news site)
- Cooperativa (Chilean news and radio site)
- LingQ: free vs premium (20 saved words, 5 imported lessons)
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing
- Atlas Obscura: what is la once (a light tea-and-bread meal in Chile)
- Bubblegum
- LingQ
- Language Reactor
