Greetings
¿Qué sopá?
keh so-PAH — Panamanian slang, syllables reversed
What's up? Distinctly Panamanian; using it marks you as someone who's actually here.
Buenas
BWEH-nas
The all-purpose greeting, short for buenos días/tardes. Works at any hour.
Social
Chuleta
choo-LEH-ta
Literally 'pork chop', used as an exclamation — wow, damn, seriously. Heard constantly.
Vaina
VY-na
Thing, stuff, situation. Enormously versatile and mildly informal.
Ahorita
ah-o-REE-ta
Technically 'right now', in practice anywhere from five minutes to never. Calibrate accordingly.
Daily life
Balboa
bal-BOH-ah
The national currency, pegged 1:1 to the dollar. In practice you'll use US dollars — only coins are Panamanian.
Diablo rojo
dee-AH-blo ROH-ho
'Red devil' — the old painted buses. Largely replaced by the Metrobus system but still iconic.
Casco Viejo
KAS-ko VYEH-ho
The restored colonial old town — the city's historic and social centre.
Cédula / carné
SEH-doo-la / kar-NEH
National ID card / residency card. The E-cédula is the foreign resident's version.
Food
Sancocho
san-KO-cho
Chicken and root-vegetable soup, the national dish and the standard hangover cure.
Raspao
ras-PAH-o
Shaved ice with syrup and condensed milk, sold from carts. The city's default street treat.
Emergency
911
Single emergency number
Police, fire and ambulance. Panama uses the US-style number.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.