Basic Quechua phrases for your trip to Cusco (with pronunciation)

Quechua (Runasimi, "the people's language") was the lingua franca of the Inca empire and today is spoken by millions of people across the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and beyond. In Peru it's an official language alongside Spanish, and in the Cusco region you'll hear it in markets, Sacred Valley villages and the communities along the treks. Nobody expects travellers to speak it, but a few words bring smiles and show respect for local culture.

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Before you start

• There are several varieties of Quechua; we use forms common in Cusco. You'll see different spellings (for example Qosqo, Cusco or Cuzco) because the writing system was standardised at different times.
• "Q" is pronounced at the back of the throat, further back than "k". An apostrophe (as in k'acha) marks a more explosive sound.
• Pronunciation guides are approximate.
• Stress usually falls on the second-to-last syllable.

Greetings and courtesy

• Allillanchu (a-yee-YAN-choo): How are you? / Hello. The most useful greeting.
• Imaynallam kashanki (ee-my-na-YAM ka-SHAN-kee): How are you?
• Allinmi (a-YEEN-mee): Fine.
• Sulpayki (sool-PIE-kee) or Añay (a-NYAI): Thank you. You'll also hear "añaychay".
• Ari (AH-ree): Yes.
• Mana (MAH-na): No.
• Tupananchiskama (too-pa-nan-chees-KA-ma): Until we meet again.
• Allin p'unchay (a-YEEN POON-chai): Good day.

Introducing yourself

• Imataq sutiyki? (ee-MA-tak soo-TEE-kee): What's your name?
• Sutiymi … (soo-TEE-mee): My name is …
• Maymanta kanki? (my-MAN-ta KAN-kee): Where are you from?
• … manta kani (… MAN-ta KA-nee): I'm from …
• Kusikuni (koo-see-KOO-nee): I'm happy / glad.

At the market and in the street

• Hayk'ataq? (hai-KA-tak): How much is it?
• Yaku (YA-koo): Water.
• Mikhuy (MEE-khooy): To eat / food.
• Sumaq (SOO-mak): Beautiful, delicious, good. "Sumaq mikhuy" means "delicious food".
• K'acha (KA-cha): Pretty, elegant.
• Yanapawankichu? (ya-na-pa-wan-KEE-choo): Can you help me?

At markets, a "sulpayki" when you pay or get your change is always appreciated.

• San Pedro Market in Cusco: what to eat, what to buy, opening hours and tips
• What to buy in Cusco: authentic souvenirs and what to avoid

Numbers 1 to 10

1. Huk (hook)
2. Iskay (ees-KAI)
3. Kimsa (KEEM-sa)
4. Tawa (TA-wa)
5. Pichqa (PEECH-ka)
6. Suqta (SOK-ta)
7. Qanchis (KAN-chees)
8. Pusaq (POO-sak)
9. Isqun (EES-kon)
10. Chunka (CHOON-ka)

Words you'll see everywhere

• Pachamama: Mother Earth, who receives offerings, especially in August.
• Apu: the spirit of sacred mountains such as Ausangate or Salkantay.
• Inti: the sun — hence Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun.
• Ayni: reciprocity, mutual help between families and communities.
• Wasi: house. You'll see it in names of hostels and restaurants.
• Qhapaq Ñan: the great Inca road network.
• Tawantinsuyu: the Inca empire's name, "the four united regions".
• Qosqo: Cusco in Quechua, often translated as "navel" or centre of the world.

• Inti Raymi in Cusco: date, schedule, tickets and how to experience the Festival of the Sun
• Cusco festivals: a month-by-month calendar
• Machu Picchu history: who built it, why, and how the world found out

Use it respectfully

• Speak naturally and don't turn it into a joke.
• Ask before photographing people, especially women and children in traditional dress; asking in Spanish is usually fine.
• Don't assume everyone in traditional clothing speaks Quechua, or that they don't speak Spanish.
• In rural communities, greeting everyone on arrival is an important gesture.

• How to choose a tour agency in Cusco: a checklist to get it right

Where to learn more

Some language schools in Cusco offer Quechua classes, sometimes combined with Spanish. Community tourism tours in the Sacred Valley can include time with Quechua-speaking families — a great chance to practise and learn about daily life and weaving.

• Sacred Valley of the Incas: what to see and how to visit
• Andean textiles in Cusco: weaving workshops, weaving communities and buying well

A little Quechua history

Quechua wasn't born with the Incas: it's a much older language family that spread across the central Andes before the empire. The Incas adopted it for administration and spread it from Ecuador to Chile and Argentina. After the conquest, missionaries used it to evangelise and wrote the first grammars and dictionaries. For centuries it faced discrimination, and many families stopped passing it on so their children wouldn't be marginalised. Today it's having a revival — music, radio, literature, social media and even dubbing in Quechua — and more young people in Cusco are proud to speak it.

Fun fact: many everyday words come from Quechua, such as condor, llama, puma, pampa and jerky (from ch'arki).

Useful phrases on a trek or in a community

• Rimaykullayki (ree-my-koo-YAI-kee): a very respectful greeting, especially for elders.
• Haku (HA-koo): Let's go!
• Samariy (sa-MA-ree): Rest.
• Chiri (CHEE-ree): Cold. "Chirin" means "it's cold".
• Ruphay (ROO-pai): Heat, strong sun.
• Mamay / Taytay: warm, respectful ways to address a woman or a man.

If you trek with Quechua-speaking horsemen or cooks, asking how to say what you see — mountain (urqu), lake (qucha), river (mayu) — is a great way to connect.

• Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: route, difficulty, best season and how to plan it
• Ausangate trek: the great circuit of the sacred peak (route, altitude and preparation)

Before you go

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