Language in Costa Rica

Ticos are pretty tranquilo about most things, and they tend to speak at a relaxed speed and enunciate clearly, especially when addressing a foreigner. Costa Ricans are known for saying Mae, which means “Dude,” but has become a form of verbal punctuation used in some circles in almost every sentence. A notable idiosyncrasy here is creating diminutives with -ico instead of -ito (e.g., un poquitico)—hence the words Tico and Tica to describe Costa Rican men and women. Ticos are said to have an odd way of pronouncing the R at the beginning of a word, as in Rica—the R is never rolled or trilled. All in all, rest assured that if your español is not buenísimo, most Costa Ricans will speak slow, proper Spanish to you.

Some Typical Tico Words & Phrases:

Birra: Slang for beer

Boca: Literally means "mouth," but also a term to describe a small appetizer served alongside a drink at many bars

Bomba: Translates literally as "pump," but is used in Costa Rica for "gas station"

Brete: Work, or job

Buena nota: Right on

Casado: Traditional lunch with meat, rice, beans, salad (literally “married,” suggesting this is the kind of lunch a married man brings to work)

Chapa: Derogatory way to call someone stupid or clumsy

Chepe: Slang term for the capital city, San José

Choza: Slang for house or home. Also called chante

Chunche: Knickknack; thing, as in "whatchamacallit"

Cien metros: 100 meters, or one block

Con gusto, Con mucho gusto: You're welcome, with pleasure

De hoy en ocho: In 1 week's time

Diay: An untranslatable but common linguistic punctuation, often used to begin a sentence. Can mean “Gosh,” “Well,” or “Wow.”

Estar de chicha: To be angry

Fria: Literally "cold," but used to mean a cold beer—una fria, por favor

Fut: Short for fútbol, or soccer

Goma: Hangover

Harina: Literally "flour," but used to mean money

La sele: Short for La Selección, the Costa Rican national soccer team

Limpio: Literally means "clean," but is the local term for being broke, or having no money

Macha or machita: A blond woman

Mae: Translates like "man" or "dude"; used by many Costa Ricans, particularly teenagers, as frequent verbal punctuation

Maje: A lot like mae, above, but with a slightly derogatory connotation

Mala nota: Bummer

Mala pata: Bad luck

Mejenga: An informal, or pickup, soccer game

Pachanga or pelón: Both terms are used to signify a big party or gathering.

Ponga la maría, por favor: This is how you ask taxi drivers to turn on the meter.

Pulpería: The Costa Rican version of the "corner store" or small market.

Pura paja: Pure nonsense

Pura vida: Literally, "pure life"; translates as "everything's great."

Qué torta: What a mess; what a screw-up.

Si Dios quiere: God willing; you'll hear Ticos say this all the time.

Soda: A casual diner-style restaurant serving cheap Tico meals

Tico: Costa Rican

Tiquicia: Costa Rica

Tuanis: Most excellent, cool, great

Una teja: 100 colones

Un rojo: 1,000 colones

Un tucán: 5,000 colones

Upe!: Common shout to find out if anyone is home; used frequently since doorbells are so scarce.

Zarpe: Last drink of the night, or "one more for the road"

Hotel Terms

Abanico: Fan

Aire acondicionado: Air-conditioning

Almohada: Pillow

Baño: Bathroom

Baño privado: Private bathroom

Calefacción: Heating

Caja de seguridad: Safe

Cama: Bed

Cobija: Blanket

Colchón: Mattress

Cuarto or Habitación: Room

Escritorio: Desk

Habitación simple/sencilla: Single room

Habitación doble: Double room

Habitación triple: Triple room

Llave: Key

Mosquitero: Mosquito net

Sábanas: Sheets

Seguro de puerta: Door lock

Silla: Chair

Telecable: Cable TV

Ventilador: Fan

Travel Terms

Aduana: Customs

Aeropuerto: Airport

Avenida: Avenue

Avión: Airplane

Aviso: Warning

Bote: Boat

Bus: Bus

Cajero: ATM, also called cajero automatico

Calle: Street

Correo: Mail, or post office

Cuadra: City block

Dinero or plata: Money

Embajada: Embassy

Embarque: Boarding

Entrada: Entrance

Equipaje: Luggage

Este: East

Frontera: Border

Lancha: Boat

Norte: North

Oeste: West

Pasaporte: Passport

Puerta de salida or puerta de embarque: Boarding gate

Salida: Exit

Sur: South

Tarjeta de embarque: Boarding pass

Vuelo: Flight

Emergency Terms

¡Auxilio!: Help!

Ambulancia: Ambulance

Bomberos: Fire brigade; firefighters

Clínica: Clinic or hospital

Déjame en paz: Leave me alone

Doctor or médico: Doctor

Emergencia: Emergency

Enfermo/enferma: Sick

Enfermera: Nurse

Farmacia: Pharmacy

Fuego or incendio: Fire

Hospital: Hospital

Ladrón: Thief

Peligroso: Dangerous

Policía: Police

¡Váyase!: Go away!