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The plane touches down at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. The seatbelt sign is still on, but half the passengers are already standing, pulling bags from overhead bins. A flight attendant announces: "Por favor permanezcan sentados hasta que el avión se detenga completamente." (Please remain seated until the plane comes to a complete stop.) The man next to you looks at you and says: "Bienvenido a Colombia, hermano. Pase por migración, recoja sus maletas y salga por la puerta de llegadas internacionales." Three formal commands - pase, recoja, salga - delivered casually. Welcome to Colombian airport language.
En los aeropuertos colombianos, usted va a escuchar instrucciones formales todo el tiempo. (In Colombian airports, you will hear formal instructions constantly.) Understanding and responding to imperatives - commands - is not optional here. It is survival Spanish.
In this lesson, you will master formal imperatives (usted commands), learn to decode official airport and immigration language, and practice navigating every step from landing to leaving the airport.
B2 Language Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Every airport announcement, immigration officer, and security guard in Colombia uses usted imperatives - formal commands. At B2, you need to both understand them instantly AND produce them yourself.
Formation: Take the yo present form → drop the -o → add the opposite ending.
| Infinitive | Yo present | Usted imperative | Meaning (command) |
|---|---|---|---|
| pasar | paso | pase | go through / come in |
| presentar | presento | presente | present / show |
| recoger | recojo | recoja | pick up / collect |
| seguir | sigo | siga | continue / follow |
| dirigirse | me dirijo | diríjase | go to / head to |
| salir | salgo | salga | exit / leave |
| poner | pongo | ponga | put / place |
| abrir | abro | abra | open |
Irregulars you will hear at airports:
| Verb | Usted imperative | Context |
|---|---|---|
| ir | vaya | Vaya a la fila dos. (Go to line two.) |
| ser | sea | Sea tan amable de... (Be so kind as to...) |
| tener | tenga | Tenga su pasaporte listo. (Have your passport ready.) |
| hacer | haga | Haga la fila aquí. (Form the line here.) |
Colombian airports use a mix of formal Spanish and international terms. Here is the vocabulary you will see on signs and hear over speakers.
| Sign / Announcement | Meaning | Grammar Note |
|---|---|---|
| Llegadas internacionales | International arrivals | Noun phrase - no verb |
| Migración / Control migratorio | Immigration | Where you show your passport |
| Recoja su equipaje en la banda 3 | Collect your luggage at belt 3 | Recoja = usted imperative of recoger |
| Diríjase a la sala de espera | Head to the waiting area | Reflexive imperative |
| No se le olvide declarar | Don't forget to declare | Impersonal reflexive - common Colombian structure |
| Tenga a la mano su tarjeta de embarque | Have your boarding pass handy | A la mano = within reach / handy |
| Siga la señalización | Follow the signs | Señalización = signage/signs |
| Última llamada para el vuelo AV-402 | Last call for flight AV-402 | Última llamada = last call |
Siga las señales de llegadas internacionales. Signs with arrows guide you.
Tenga su pasaporte y tarjeta migratoria listos. The officer will use imperatives: Pase. Presente su pasaporte.
Diríjase a la banda asignada a su vuelo. Check the screens for your flight number.
At the Immigration Window - El Dorado Airport
Oficial de migración: "Buenas tardes. Páseme su pasaporte, por favor." → Páseme = imperative + indirect object pronoun. "Hand me your passport." The por favor softens the command.
Tú: "Buenas tardes. Aquí tiene." → Aquí tiene = "Here you go" - the standard Colombian phrase when handing something over.
Oficial: "¿Cuál es el motivo de su viaje?" → Motivo = reason/purpose. Standard immigration question.
Tú: "Vengo de turismo. Voy a estar tres semanas recorriendo el país." → Vengo de turismo = I'm here for tourism. Recorriendo = traveling around (gerund - ongoing action).
Oficial: "¿Dónde se va a hospedar?" → Hospedarse = to stay/lodge. ¿Dónde se va a hospedar? = Where are you going to stay?
Tú: "La primera semana estaré en un hotel en Bogotá, y después viajaré a Cartagena y al Eje Cafetero." → Future tense (estaré, viajaré) for planned actions - appropriate for immigration contexts.
Oficial: "Bien. Tenga su pasaporte. Bienvenido a Colombia." → Tenga = imperative of tener - "Take / Here is" when returning something.
The immigration officer asks '¿Cuál es el motivo de su viaje?' Which response is most appropriate at B2 level?
At the Luggage Claim Counter - Avianca Office
Tú: "Disculpe, mi maleta no apareció en la banda. ¿Dónde puedo hacer un reclamo?" → No apareció = didn't appear (preterite - completed action). Hacer un reclamo = file a claim.
Empleado: "Lamento mucho la situación. Déjeme revisar. ¿Me permite ver su talón de equipaje?" → Lamento = I'm sorry (formal). Talón de equipaje = luggage tag/claim ticket. ¿Me permite ver? = May I see? - polite question using usted.
Tú: "Sí, aquí está. Es una maleta negra grande con una cinta roja en el asa." → Describing luggage: color + size + distinguishing feature. Asa = handle. Cinta = ribbon/tape.
Empleado: "Llene este formulario con sus datos y la descripción de la maleta. Déjenos un número de contacto en Colombia y le avisamos cuando aparezca." → Llene = imperative (fill out). Déjenos = imperative + nos (leave us). Cuando aparezca = subjunctive after cuando (future uncertainty).
Tú: "¿Cuánto tiempo suele tardar en estos casos?" → Soler + infinitive = to usually (take time). Elegant B2 construction for asking about typical timeframes.
The employee says: 'Le avisamos cuando aparezca.' Why is 'aparezca' subjunctive?
At B2, you should recognize these commands instantly - without translating. Practice reading them and visualizing the action.
| Command | Situation | Your Response |
|---|---|---|
| Haga la fila por aquí. | Security / Immigration | Line up where indicated |
| Ponga sus objetos en la bandeja. | Security screening | Place items in the tray |
| Quítese el cinturón y los zapatos. | Security screening | Remove belt and shoes |
| Pase por el escáner. | Security screening | Walk through the scanner |
| Abra su maleta, por favor. | Customs inspection | Open your suitcase |
| Muéstreme su tarjeta de embarque. | Gate agent | Show your boarding pass |
| Diríjase a la puerta 24. | Gate change announcement | Head to gate 24 |
| Permanezca en su asiento. | In-flight announcement | Remain in your seat |
Scenario: You Just Landed in Cartagena - Rafael Núñez Airport
You exit the plane and follow signs to Migración. The line is long. A security guard approaches: "Tenga su pasaporte listo y el formulario de migración diligenciado." You realize you did not fill out the migration form on the plane. You need to ask for one, fill it out, and then proceed through immigration. What do you say to the guard?
You need a migration form. Which request is most appropriate?
What does 'diligenciar' mean in Colombian Spanish?
Daily Practice Actions
Monday-Tuesday: Conjugate 10 verbs into usted imperatives. Start with the yo present, drop the -o, add the opposite ending. Include 3 reflexive verbs.
Wednesday-Thursday: Write your own immigration interview. Answer: ¿Motivo del viaje? ¿Cuánto tiempo? ¿Dónde se hospeda? ¿Tiene pasaje de regreso? - in complete B2 sentences.
Friday: Imagine your luggage is lost. Write the entire claim conversation - your complaint, the employee's questions, your luggage description, and follow-up questions.
Weekend: Watch a YouTube video of someone arriving at El Dorado airport. Listen for imperatives and airport vocabulary from this lesson. Count how many you recognize.
Pase por el control de aduanas. Green channel = nothing to declare. Red channel = items to declare.
Salga por la puerta de llegadas. Taxis, buses, and greeters wait outside.