But the truth is that this warm nickname might be used by adults too. "You should meet John, he’s tuanis. Tico the Sloth is also the name of My Costa Rica’s mascot. Now in it's second edition, the Dictionary of Costa Rican Slang has intrigued people from around the world. Or, "I am looking for a brete near my home." ", could be a good example. If you learn the term guaro, you will also need to know the meaning of goma! If a tico is talking about work, you will definitely hear the word brete. If you want to keep these phrases in your pocket, you might want to try Spanish Translator & Dictionary + by Vidalingua. Regalarse (ray-gah-lar-say) - To give. 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. MAE. Tico Lindo - Dictionary of Costa Rican Slang. Tico is the short form for Costa Rican - a man. Costa Rica Slang Words. The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here. Costa Rican Spanish: Cabra (Literally, “goat”) Venezuelan and Nicaraguan Spanish: Chama (for a little girl, but means “flame”) or chamita (literally, “shrimp”) Güey! You can download it for free on your The Central American country of Costa Rica is one that is very near and dear to me. Here is a useful list of expressions that can be heard in everyday conversation: 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. There are some nice expressions that show how popular the word Tico is. iPhone or A soda is any small restaurant that serves up traditional Costa Rican food. Chunche (choon-chay) - Thingy. When visiting Costa Rica, you may overhear locals using Spanish words which you may have never heard in other Spanish countries. One of the most fun aspects to living here is learning the thousands of tiquismos, or words and phrases unique to this nation. It also means "guy," in the sense of being a man. TALKIN' TICO A guide to Costa Rican slang. Costa Ricans often call themselves Ticos. Costa Rican Spanish is, if spoken among pure Costa Ricans, quite different form the rest! Chineado(a) (cheen-ay-ah-do) - Spoiled. Common words such as "pulperia," "Tico" and "pura vida" may confuse people who are learning Spanish and even some native Spanish speaking people. Blog. Destinations. Its uses are infinite. But be aware that too much guaro will bring you a goma! Pura Vida. I cannot come, I have too much brete." Diay, I don’t know." /mɑɪ/ This is another Costa Rican Spanish term that you will commonly hear in the streets or … Or iv you say "Hi, my name is Ana" the response might also be "Pura vida, I am Lola". It simply means "Pure life", but you will see that locals use it in many ways. 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. It is also used to mean a (young) female (similar to "chick"). The term todo el jupa de pollo was a popular way to say "the whole shebang", "the full Monty" or "it's complete now". Learn authentic Costa Rican Spanish with the Costa Rican Spanish 101 Audio Course and learn from engaging dialogues with Costa Rican Spanish speakers. … - a hangover. We've compiled a list of the most commonly used Costa Rican slang words and expressions to help you talk like a native. It simply means "Pure life", but you will see that locals use it in many ways. (kay chee-vah) - How neat/ cool! This is especially convenient if you forget name of something. Common Spanish Slang Among Friends. In Costa Rican slang, if you hear ruco, it’s time to saddle up. Pura vida – life is good. The following is a helpful list of Costa Rican colloquialisms, or Costarriqueñismos, as they are often called in Spanish. (oo-pay) - An attention-grabbing sound to make when you are standing outside of someone's house, but they are unaware of your presence. It means work, indeed, but they could also use it as a synonym of job or workplace. Costa Rica Slang. Porfa/por favor (poor-fah)- Variations of the word "please.' About. Meaning guy or dude, it is widely used among friends, but it can also simply mean man. 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. Are you wondering why Spanish can vary so much from region to region? It is the friendly term for soccer game. Here is a useful list of expressions that can be heard in everyday conversation: Chepe (cheh-pay) - Affectionate slang word for San Jose. Tico Lindo - The guy who knows EVERYBODY. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. It could describe a wonderful beach where to practice surf or a great restaurant for eating gallo pinto. This is a nice example of how ticos love diminutives and they tend to create them by adding -tico as a suffix. In English, you’re my “homie,” but in Spanish, you’re… European Spanish: Amigo/a; Mexican Spanish: Güey, read as “wey.” It is also used to say thank you, you're welcome, how are you?, I'm great, etc. For a country the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of idioms, street slang, and country-specific vocabulary. Even if you think you’re pretty close with someone in Costa Rica, it’s still better to refer to … One of the most fun aspects to living here is learning the thousands of tiquismos, or words and phrases unique to this nation. Costa Rica's official language is Spanish, though a large number of its citizens are at least moderately bilingual. If you want a tip to remember it, just keep in mind that chiva literally means goat - So, it would be "How goat!". Brete - Work Instagram. It nevertheless differs from Mexican slang. Groups of women can be called Ticas, but any mixed-gender group will be called Ticos, because of how Spanish grammar works. I have lived in Costa Rica for 10 years and have heard numerous ‘dichos’ Ticos (or Costa Rican sayings). More a special phrase to Costa Rica than actual slang, “Pura Vida” is a term understood … For example, if you say "Goodbye, Lucas", the response might be "Pura vida!" © 1996-2020 costarica.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Most common: Pura Vida: The Costa Rican motto! It’s a great place to get an authentic taste of the country. I could write an … Pura Vida. Other Slang You’ll Hear in Costa Rica. RECORDED BY: David Stogsdill. Victoria Sfriso 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. Learn the Spanish slang for cool with a list of words and expressions divided by different Spanish-speaking countries. Travel Tips. Here when you want to butter someone up, you apply it … Tuanis (too-ahn-ees) - Said to be a Spanish adaptation of "too nice," this popular phrase means "cool. This literally means “pure life,” and you’ll hear it used as a greeting, a goodbye or a way … Mejenga - Soccer game 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. Mae– equivalent to the word “dude” in English.This if often used in casual conversation between friends, mainly in younger generations. The literal translation is “Pure Life”, and it is used with different meanings. ", Upe! Learn the Costa Rican slang you'll need before your trip to Costa Rica. Enjoy the following ten Costa Rican Spanish slang expressions to get you started: 1. brocha A brocha is a brush. It can be also a wide term meaning just alcohol drinks. "Regalame el chunche azul' translates to "give me that blue thingy-mabobber.'. Some Costa Rican Spanish slang expressions, other than Pura Vida. “The term “pachuco” is used in Costa Rica to define Costa Rican slang. Guaro refers to alcohol beverages made from sugar cane, like rum. Diay – Uhm or What happened? Porfa is most commonly used in Guanacaste. (Derived from machismo, of course!). “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. Also has examples of when to use the Costa Rican idioms in different situations. Spanish as the official language in twenty countries, eighteen of which are in Latin America. Rico (ree-koh) - Delicious (used in relation to food or sex appeal). or how cool! Kids from Costa Rica call their fathers tata. This list is certainly not … This is an article dedicated to my personal top 15. "Regalame una agua' translates to "give me a water.'. Or, "Mae, how are you doing?". How fun, isn’t it? - Kindle edition by Green, Chuck. His family is from Alajuela, Costa Rica, and he grew up in the third canton of Alajuela, Grecia, Costa Rica. This word is what Costa Ricans use to refer to their horses. Tico/Tica– a name for a Costa Rican, male and female accordingly. It's also used to describe things that bring pleasure, like a "masaje rico" is a great massage. All these expressions and millions more are available for free on PhraseMates for iPhone and Android. For a country the size of West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of idioms, street slang, and country-specific vocabulary. So dive in and learn some Tico slang! VidaLingua. It can also refer to a woman, but that’s not so usual and it may have a pejorative meaning. Among men, it is also slightly pejorative. Tuanis - Awesome Please select a sample from the list below. Pura Vida. Though slightly smaller than West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of expressions, pachuco (street slang), and country-specific vocabulary. All lessons include a full transcript in Spanish with the English translation. 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. 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). While it’s literal meaning is “give me a touch,” someone who requests this of … Costa Ricans say this instead of "de nada,' which is commonly used in other Spanish speaking countries. Disculpe (dis-cool-pay) - Excuse me. I actually started with 10, but they grew thanks to my family and friends who added to the list… 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) If you have ever been to Costa Rica, you have heard this phrase. DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 02/05/2009. Tata - Dad Here I have grouped a couple of examples from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela. The slang used by Costa Ricans shows their philosophy of life which can be sammarized as "Take it easy and enjoy!". Tico/a (tee-koh) - A Costa Rican male or female. To region filler, if you have heard numerous ‘ dichos ’ Ticos ( or Costa Rican.... “ Pure life ”, and it may have never heard in everyday conversation: Pura vida and tuanis and! Device, PC, phones or tablets ’ s a great place to get an authentic taste of the fun... Azul ' translates to `` give me a water. ' need your. This is especially convenient if you learn the Costa Rican idioms in different situations Variations... Equivalent to the word Tico is by adding -tico as a reply to your goodbye! Hear Pura vida could stand for what do you think you will probably hear mae many if. 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