It also means "guy," in the sense of being a man. Or, "Mae, how are you doing?". You can download it for free on your One would be "Mas tico que el gallo pinto", which means "More Costa Rican than rice and beans" (a delicious local recipe you will love). It is the friendly term for soccer game. "Regalame una agua' translates to "give me a water.'. Mae - Dude Pura vida – life is good. Pura vida (poor-ah vee-dah) - Translates to "pure life,' but is used conversationally in the same way that Americans use the word cool (cool as in awesome, not cold. Are you wondering why Spanish can vary so much from region to region? Destinations. Guaro refers to alcohol beverages made from sugar cane, like rum. Learn the Costa Rican slang you'll need before your trip to Costa Rica. There are some nice expressions that show how popular the word Tico is. “Pura Vida” is much more than a bit of slang in Costa Rica, it is the defining way of life and general attitude of the entire population. For a country the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of idioms, street slang, and country-specific vocabulary. One of the most fun aspects to living here is learning the thousands of tiquismos, or words and phrases unique to this nation. But be aware that too much guaro will bring you a goma! Looking for more words and expressions used in Latin American. Even if you think you’re pretty close with someone in Costa Rica, it’s still better to refer to … “The term “pachuco” is used in Costa Rica to define Costa Rican slang. … The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here. Check out this article on Colorful Cuban Expressions. While it’s literal meaning is “give me a touch,” someone who requests this of … Pura vida | “Pure life” This quintessential Costa Rican phrase tells you pretty much everything you … Subject was born in San José, Costa Rica. Diay, I don’t know." Most common: Pura Vida: The Costa Rican motto! Spanish has equivalents for “cool” and they vary among countries. Enjoy the following ten Costa Rican Spanish slang expressions to get you started: 1. brocha A brocha is a brush. Groups of women can be called Ticas, but any mixed-gender group will be called Ticos, because of how Spanish grammar works. (kay chee-vah) - How neat/ cool! A cachete - Cool I could write an … Costa Rican Spanish is, if spoken among pure Costa Ricans, quite different form the rest! This word is what Costa Ricans use to refer to their horses. Lead Spanish Linguist Brete - Work Mejenga - Soccer game Tico – Costa Rican Walking down the street you will probably hear mae many times if you come across a group of young people. For those needing a good explanation, I have compiled a list of the top 9 Costa Rican slang words to help you on your visit. Blog. Tico the Sloth is also the name of My Costa Rica’s mascot. As a verb, chinear also means to cuddle. Learn authentic Costa Rican Spanish with the Costa Rican Spanish 101 Audio Course and learn from engaging dialogues with Costa Rican Spanish speakers. If you have ever been to Costa Rica, you have heard this phrase. Also has examples of when to use the Costa Rican idioms in different situations. Costa Ricans say this instead of "de nada,' which is commonly used in other Spanish speaking countries. This literally means “pure life,” and you’ll hear it used as a greeting, a goodbye or a way … Costa Rica 1 male, 24, 1984, Hispanic, Alajuela (Grecia) Costa Rica 2 male, 55, 1959, Costa Rican, Puerto Limón & New York City (U.S.) Costa Rica 3 male, 27, 1988, Hispanic, Tres Rios (near San Jose) Costa Rica 4 male, 42, 1973, Hispanic, Heredia (near San Jose) Costa Rica 5 male, 22, 1996, Caucasian/Costa Rican, San Pablo de Heredia (Heredia) It simply means "Pure life", but you will see that locals use it in many ways. It is also used to say thank you, you're welcome, how are you?, I'm great, etc. One of the most fun aspects to living here is learning the thousands of tiquismos, or words and phrases unique to this nation. Tico Lindo - The guy who knows EVERYBODY. Pura vida could stand for nice to meet you, thank you, see you later, you are welcome, as well as great! If a tico is talking about work, you will definitely hear the word brete. In English, you’re my “homie,” but in Spanish, you’re… European Spanish: Amigo/a; Mexican Spanish: Güey, read as “wey.” Instagram. Costa Rica Slang. Costa Rica's official language is Spanish, though a large number of its citizens are at least moderately bilingual. Other Slang You’ll Hear in Costa Rica. Porfa is most commonly used in Guanacaste. Learn the Costa Rican slang you'll need before your trip to Costa Rica. Or, "I am looking for a brete near my home." Rico (ree-koh) - Delicious (used in relation to food or sex appeal). DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 02/05/2009. Top Six Extra Things to Pack on Your Next Trip Abroad, Ten Things to do on the beach in Manuel Antonio, High speeds, high waves, high in the air over Manuel Antonio, In-shore fishing off the coast of Manuel Antonio, Protecting the kinkajous in Manuel Antonio, The Top 5 Reasons I love living in Tamarindo, Naturalized Costa Rican Citizenship by Marriage. Other countries use "dar,' but Costa Ricans like to shake things up. Guaro - Alcohol His family is from Alajuela, Costa Rica, and he grew up in the third canton of Alajuela, Grecia, Costa Rica. Usted. More a special phrase to Costa Rica than actual slang, “Pura Vida” is a term understood … (Derived from machismo, of course!). Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading TALKIN' TICO A guide to Costa Rican slang.. It’s a great place to get an authentic taste of the country. So dive in and learn some Tico slang! Costa Rican Spanish: Cabra (Literally, “goat”) Venezuelan and Nicaraguan Spanish: Chama (for a little girl, but means “flame”) or chamita (literally, “shrimp”) Güey! Here I have grouped a couple of examples from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela. Sometimes you will hear the term as a linguistic filler, if they take a pause when talking. or how cool! So, we decided to go for a Costa Rican sort of glossary with the most common expressions in it, the most popular and some funny ones, here are the four most popular and a list of usual ones. Though slightly smaller than West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of expressions, pachuco (street slang), and country-specific vocabulary. Useful if you need someone to move out of your way. This is an article dedicated to my personal top 15. No matter if you are talking about a person, a place or an activity, tuanis is the Costa Rican for awesome, cool or nice. Tico/Tica– a name for a Costa Rican, male and female accordingly. Pura vida – life is good Macho(a) (mah-choh) - Technically means blond, but Costa Ricans use this to describe any light skinned person. For example, if you say "Goodbye, Lucas", the response might be "Pura vida!" The slang used by Costa Ricans shows their philosophy of life which can be sammarized as "Take it easy and enjoy!". It is also used to mean a (young) female (similar to "chick"). This list is certainly not … (oo-pay) - An attention-grabbing sound to make when you are standing outside of someone's house, but they are unaware of your presence. Common Spanish Slang Among Friends. Some Costa Rican Spanish slang expressions, other than Pura Vida. Learn the Spanish slang for cool with a list of words and expressions divided by different Spanish-speaking countries. Tata - Dad or "is anybody home?'. Learn some Costa Rican slang, what pura vida and tuanis mean and some Costa Rican swear words and more fun sayings. "Regalame el chunche azul' translates to "give me that blue thingy-mabobber.'. ", Upe! /mɑɪ/ This is another Costa Rican Spanish term that you will commonly hear in the streets or … or What happened? Mae– equivalent to the word “dude” in English.This if often used in casual conversation between friends, mainly in younger generations. Jul 29, 2015 - Here is a list of common Costa Rican sayings brought to you by a local. Spanish as the official language in twenty countries, eighteen of which are in Latin America. Ticos play with the term among friends, but when used with someone you don’t know it could be offensive. Here is a useful list of expressions that can be heard in everyday conversation: It means work, indeed, but they could also use it as a synonym of job or workplace. Diay – Uhm It can also refer to a woman, but that’s not so usual and it may have a pejorative meaning. This is a nice example of how ticos love diminutives and they tend to create them by adding -tico as a suffix. Android. Pura Vida. This is especially convenient if you forget name of something. All lessons include a full transcript in Spanish with the English translation. Disculpe (dis-cool-pay) - Excuse me. It is similar to "yoo-hoo!' If you want to keep these phrases in your pocket, you might want to try Spanish Translator & Dictionary + by Vidalingua. For a country the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of idioms, street slang, and country-specific vocabulary. Some years ago, in Costa Rica, the term jupa de pollo ("head of a chicken") was popular slang for "penis". For instance, "I met that mae some days ago". Please select a sample from the list below. Chunche (choon-chay) - Thingy. Porfa/por favor (poor-fah)- Variations of the word "please.' If you want a tip to remember it, just keep in mind that chiva literally means goat - So, it would be "How goat!". The term todo el jupa de pollo was a popular way to say "the whole shebang", "the full Monty" or "it's complete now". I lived there off and on for many years and started my International travel experience by participating in a study abroad program that featured time in Costa Rica. I cannot come, I have too much brete." - a hangover. It is a term used to express that something is great. Kids from Costa Rica call their fathers tata. Learn some Costa Rican slang, what pura vida and tuanis mean and some Costa Rican swear words and more fun sayings. Costa Rican Spanish is, according to the Spanish “R.A.E.” (Royal Spanish Academy, the Spanish language main authority) Director Darío Villanueva, is one of the best in terms of pronunciation .He actually compared it to the richness of our nature. We've compiled a list of the most commonly used Costa Rican slang words and expressions to help you talk like a native. For example "Shall we go to the beach today? It could describe a wonderful beach where to practice surf or a great restaurant for eating gallo pinto. Its uses are infinite. For women you will say Tica. - Awesome! ", could be a good example. Now in it's second edition, the Dictionary of Costa Rican Slang has intrigued people from around the world. It can be also a wide term meaning just alcohol drinks. Tico/a (tee-koh) - A Costa Rican male or female. VidaLingua. PURA VIDA! For example, "Do you think you will you meet her again? Also has examples of when to use the Costa Rican idioms in different situations. In Costa Rica, the word, pachuco, means street slang.However, if you were to google search it, urban dictionary will define it as “a Chicano or Mexican guy back in the 1930s to 1950s that dressed in zoot suits.” That my friends is not accurate in present-day Costa Rica. The literal translation is “Pure Life”, and it is used with different meanings. When travelling in Latin America you will come across many idiomatic expressions and vocabulary words that are specific to Costa Rica. Here is a list of common Costa Rican sayings brought to you by a local. List of Common Costa Rican Spanish Phrases Buenos días – (bwe-nos dee-as) – Good morning It is customary in Costa Rica to greet everyone with this phrase, even if you do not know them. Common words such as "pulperia," "Tico" and "pura vida" may confuse people who are learning Spanish and even some native Spanish speaking people. Que chiva! Victoria Sfriso Costa Rica Slang Words. I have lived in Costa Rica for 10 years and have heard numerous ‘dichos’ Ticos (or Costa Rican sayings). Here when you want to butter someone up, you apply it … 1. A soda is any small restaurant that serves up traditional Costa Rican food. Tuanis - Awesome Tico Slang—Top 15 sayings! This funny expression means awesome!, great! Pura Vida – “Pure life” For those familiar with Costa Rica, this one might seem obvious, but first time visitors take note! If you learn the term guaro, you will also need to know the meaning of goma! When he walks down the street he waves and says hello to everyone or they wave and say hello to him. Travel Tips. In Costa Rican slang, if you hear ruco, it’s time to saddle up. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. On evenings or during the weekend you will probably see friends playing a mejenga. Pura Vida. Con gusto (con goo-sto) - You're welcome. "You should meet John, he’s tuanis. About. Costa Ricans use “harina” as a slang word for money, much the way North Americans refer to it as “dough.” Deme un toque – Get this one wrong, and you could be in some trouble. Pura Vida. The only book of its kind, it is the most up-to-date collection of over 1,000 contemporary Costa Rican slang words and expressions with equivalents in English. But the truth is that this warm nickname might be used by adults too. For instance, you may hear Pura vida as a reply to your kind goodbye. The Central American country of Costa Rica is one that is very near and dear to me. Tico is the short form for Costa Rican - a man. The people from Costa Rica use Diay when they are either confused, worried or in doubt (Uhm... could be a good sound to replace Diay). It nevertheless differs from Mexican slang. ¡Qué chiva! Well, there are about 575 million people who speak Spanish around the world. The actual root of the saying comes from the contest where the Tica Linda is chosen and rides in a parade and waves to everyone doing the Parade wave. Tico Lindo - Dictionary of Costa Rican Slang. © 1996-2020 costarica.com, Inc. All rights reserved. When visiting Costa Rica, you may overhear locals using Spanish words which you may have never heard in other Spanish countries. It's also used to describe things that bring pleasure, like a "masaje rico" is a great massage. TALKIN' TICO A guide to Costa Rican slang. Among men, it is also slightly pejorative. MAE. With such a huge number of speakers it is not surprising to find slang words and expressions in each region. Here is a useful list of expressions that can be heard in everyday conversation: Chepe (cheh-pay) - Affectionate slang word for San Jose. Chineado(a) (cheen-ay-ah-do) - Spoiled. - Kindle edition by Green, Chuck. Regalarse (ray-gah-lar-say) - To give. Tuanis (too-ahn-ees) - Said to be a Spanish adaptation of "too nice," this popular phrase means "cool. Additionally, ruco is used as slang in Costa Rica to refer to an old bachelor. Costa Ricans often call themselves Ticos. Meaning guy or dude, it is widely used among friends, but it can also simply mean man. iPhone or RECORDED BY: David Stogsdill. All these expressions and millions more are available for free on PhraseMates for iPhone and Android. Also, diay could stand for What do you mean? Or iv you say "Hi, my name is Ana" the response might also be "Pura vida, I am Lola". The following is a helpful list of Costa Rican colloquialisms, or Costarriqueñismos, as they are often called in Spanish. I actually started with 10, but they grew thanks to my family and friends who added to the list… People in … How fun, isn’t it? It simply means "Pure life", but you will see that locals use it in many ways. And expressions to help you talk like a native most fun aspects to living here learning. Her again second edition, the Dictionary of Costa Rican slang time to saddle.! Language in twenty countries, eighteen of which are in Latin American talking about,. The official language is Spanish, though a large number of its citizens are at least moderately.. Visiting Costa Rica numerous ‘ dichos ’ Ticos ( or Costa Rican swear words and more fun.. 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( cheen-ay-ah-do ) - Spoiled before your trip to Costa Rica than actual slang, what Pura vida dude., it ’ s mascot gallo pinto a Spanish adaptation of `` de nada, ' but Costa,... When he walks down the street you will come across a group of young people once! When travelling in Latin American short form for Costa Rican slang words and unique! And Android to move out of your way Rica, you will hear the word brete. it. They wave and say hello to him of women can be found by clicking here much region. S time to saddle up `` Pure life ”, and it is a helpful of. Form the rest or they wave and say hello to him meet her again are often called Spanish! Taste of the most commonly used Costa Rican Tico is talking about work, you 're welcome our recordings scripted. Ricans, quite different form the rest they could also use it as linguistic!

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