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You are walking through a shopping mall in Bogotá and you see a sign: "JALE" on a door. You push. It does not move. A security guard watches you struggle and finally points at the sign. Jale means "pull." The other door says "EMPUJE" - push. You have just learned two words you will see on every glass door in Colombia, the hard way.
Signs, announcements, and public notices surround you in a Spanish-speaking city - and they are one of the fastest, most natural ways to build your reading skills. Every sign you read correctly is a small victory. Every sign you understand without translating is a step closer to fluency.
In this lesson, you will learn the signs and announcements that appear most frequently in Colombian daily life - on doors, in stores, on buses, in buildings, and in public spaces. By the end, you will walk through Bogotá reading everything around you.
These are the signs that appear on nearly every building, door, and business in Colombia. You will see them hundreds of times.
| Sign | Meaning | Where You See It |
|---|---|---|
| ABIERTO | Open | Store fronts, restaurant doors |
| CERRADO | Closed | Same - the other side of the sign |
| JALE | Pull | Glass doors (this catches EVERY foreigner) |
| EMPUJE | Push | Glass doors |
| ENTRADA | Entrance | Buildings, parking garages, malls |
| SALIDA | Exit | Same - look for this in emergencies |
| SALIDA DE EMERGENCIA | Emergency exit | Malls, theaters, offices |
| BAÑOS | Restrooms | Restaurants, malls, gas stations |
| HOMBRES / MUJERES | Men / Women | Restroom doors |
| PROHIBIDO FUMAR | No smoking | Public buildings, restaurants |
| NO PASAR | Do not enter | Construction sites, restricted areas |
| CUIDADO | Caution | Wet floors, construction, stairs |
| PISO MOJADO | Wet floor | Inside buildings after cleaning |
Every Colombian business communicates its status, hours, and services through signs. Here is what you will see:
Hours and availability:
Services:
Reading a Restaurant Window
You walk past a restaurant. The window displays: "ALMUERZO EJECUTIVO $15.000 - Sopa + Bandeja + Jugo. JORNADA CONTINUA. DOMICILIOS: 601-345-6789." You now know: lunch costs 15,000 pesos, includes soup, a main plate, and juice; they are open all day without a break; and they deliver. You read all of this without opening a dictionary.
You learned the TransMilenio system in Lesson 1 - now learn to read its signs:
| Sign / Announcement | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PRÓXIMA ESTACIÓN: ___ | Next station: ___ |
| ESTACIÓN INTERMEDIA | Intermediate station (not all buses stop) |
| SERVICIO EXPRESO | Express service (skips stations) |
| NO SE APOYE EN LAS PUERTAS | Do not lean on the doors |
| CEDA EL PUESTO A MUJERES EMBARAZADAS, ADULTOS MAYORES Y PERSONAS CON DISCAPACIDAD | Give your seat to pregnant women, elderly, and disabled persons |
| TARJETA INSUFICIENTE | Insufficient card balance |
| RECARGUE SU TARJETA | Reload your card |
| FUERA DE SERVICIO | Out of service |
| NO INGRESE DESPUÉS DEL CIERRE DE PUERTAS | Do not enter after doors close |
The Turnstile Rejection
You tap your card and the turnstile flashes red: "TARJETA INSUFICIENTE." You know what this means now - your card does not have enough balance. You step aside, find the recarga booth, and say: "Me la recarga con diez mil, por favor." Problem solved in 30 seconds - because you could read the sign.
If you live in a conjunto (gated complex) or edificio (building), you will encounter these signs daily:
These signs can protect you - understanding them is not optional:
| Sign | Meaning | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| PELIGRO | Danger | High - stay away |
| CUIDADO | Caution / Be careful | Medium - proceed carefully |
| PROHIBIDO | Prohibited / Forbidden | Rule - do not do this |
| ZONA EN CONSTRUCCIÓN | Construction zone | Avoid or use caution |
| ALTO VOLTAJE | High voltage | Do not touch |
| NO TOCAR | Do not touch | Equipment, displays |
| ALARMA CONTRA INCENDIOS | Fire alarm | Emergency equipment |
| PUNTO DE ENCUENTRO | Meeting/assembly point | Where to go in an emergency |
| EVACUACIÓN | Evacuation | Follow the arrows |
Real-world signs often combine multiple pieces of information. Practice reading these complete announcements:
ABIERTO - Lunes a Sábado 7 AM - 9 PM. Domingos y Festivos CERRADO. Aceptamos efectivo y tarjetas. Domicilios: 312-555-0123.
Translation: Open Monday to Saturday 7 AM - 9 PM. Sundays and holidays CLOSED. We accept cash and cards. Delivery: 312-555-0123.
AVISO IMPORTANTE: El agua será suspendida el jueves 15 de marzo de 8:00 AM a 2:00 PM por mantenimiento. Almacene agua con anticipación. La Administración.
Translation: IMPORTANT NOTICE: Water will be shut off Thursday March 15 from 8 AM to 2 PM for maintenance. Store water in advance. The Management.
ATENCIÓN: La estación Calle 72 estará cerrada por obras. Use la estación Calle 76. Disculpe las molestias.
Translation: ATTENTION: The Calle 72 station will be closed for construction. Use the Calle 76 station. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Daily Actions for This Week
Monday-Tuesday: Walk through any building and mentally translate every sign you see into Spanish. Door says "Push"? Think "EMPUJE." Exit sign? "SALIDA." Restrooms? "BAÑOS."
Wednesday-Thursday: Look up photos of Colombian streets on Google Street View (search for Bogotá neighborhoods). Read every sign you can see - store names, business hours, SE ARRIENDA signs. See how many words you recognize.
Friday: Practice reading the three complete announcements from Section 6 aloud. Focus on reading them smoothly without pausing at every word.
Weekend: Write your own building notice in Spanish. Imagine you are the building manager: announce a water shutoff, an elevator repair, or a community meeting. Use vocabulary from this lesson.