Spanish is spoken in Uruguay. If you speak Spanish you will understand the people in Uruguay. There are some local words that may differ from other Spanish speaking countries but they certainly mean no barrier to communication if you speak any other variation of Spanish.
Uruguayan's speak Spanish so it's "Hola".
The only official language in Uruguay is Spanish and is the only one talked by every Uruguayan.
Uruguayans speak Spanish so you say "tía".
The following South American countries speak Spanish: Argentina Bolivia Chile Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela
Uruguayan's speak Spanish so it's "Chau" or "Adiós" (more formal).
English is not an official language in Uruguay (Spanish is) so not many people speaks English. However, there are many bilingual schools (who teach in Spanish and English) and many people studies English but it's not common to speak in English in local shops. Hotels and tourist places yes.
Spanish is spoken in 21 countries, while Portuguese is spoken in 9 countries. There are some countries where both languages are spoken, such as Brazil, which speaks Portuguese, and Paraguay and Uruguay, which speak Spanish.
Peru Ecuador Colombia Venezuela Argentina Brazil Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay Chile
Spain, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico, Panama, Peru
Spain, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Bolivia
Uruguay's only landed border is with Brazil. Argentina's across the Uruguay River. The Spanish arrived in Uruguay in 1536. But the country had no gold or mineral wealth. So the Spanish didn't make settlement an immediate priority. Their main concern was to build forts against the Portuguese, and to start up some agricultural and livestock raising activities. That's what gave them the advantage, ultimately, over the Portuguese. For they ended up with cultural, economy, military and political interests to defend. In contrast, the Portuguese had a limited military and trading presence in Uruguay. And they had their hands full across the pond in Portugal, and with Brazil as Latin America's biggest country.