![]() Mae is the Costa Rican equivalent of “dude.” It’s heard most frequently among good friends – especially among boys and men – but can also be used when speaking to a stranger or acquaintance. Though it’s used casually, there’s no doubt that Costa Ricans truly take pura vida to heart, something you’ll quickly grow accustomed to in Costa Rica. This phrase is thrown around often in everyday conversation and can be used as a greeting, response, thank you, goodbye, and more. Literally translated to “pure life,” pura vida encompasses the relaxed and carefree Costa Rican lifestyle that so many have come to know and love. Costa Ricans themselves and foreigners alike use this term. A tico – or the feminine tica – is the colloquial term for a Costa Rican native. Get to know these words and phrases to get a taste of Costa Rica before you even arrive: Each region’s dialect offers a glimpse into the culture and lifestyle of its people, and Costa Rica’s is no exception. With so many native speakers scattered all over the globe, accents and dialects run rampant, making Spanish sometimes tricky but mostly fascinating. Olla de carne: Traditional meat and vegetable soup.Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, far behind Chinese in first and barely snuffing out English in third. Gallito: Light meal made with tortilla, salad and meat.īocas: Hors d’oeuvres that accompany alcoholic drinks. Guaro is also used to talk about any other beverage containing alcohol.Ĭasado: Typical Costa Rican dish consisting of rice, beans, meat, salad and fried plantain. ![]() Guaro: Name of the national distilled liquor. ![]() Pringar: To splash, sprinkle or stain something.Ĭhanear: To fix or improve the appearance of something. Socar : Could mean ‘to tighten up’ or ‘to hurry up’, depending on context.Ĭhinear: To spoil someone, to treat lovingly or well. There are several “new verbs” to be learned in Costa Rica even by those who are already fluent in Spanish. Hacerse el maje: To avoid responsibility. Jugar de vivo: To act arrogant, to show off. Ser care'barro: Being shameless, barefaced. No sia tonto mae!: No way! That’s incredible Upeehh: Expression used to call when you arrive to a place (if no one has noticed yet) or when you are outside someone’s house. For this reason, when you are told “I’ll get there ahorita” or “I’ll send it ahorita”, it’s always prudent to clarify: Ahorita…right now? Or…ahorita later? This is a measure of time that does not represent a strict nor quantified commitment, and in turn places no limitation on the freedom of action (or inaction) for whoever promises “to do it ahorita”. Curiously, it could mean “right now” or it could mean “in a moment” which could range from a few minutes to several hours later. This diminutive of “ahora” (in English “now”) is a key word used in everyday life in Costa Rica. He laughed for a long time when I explained that people were actually saying, “Siga Recto”, the classical way Tico’s express, “continue straight”. He could not understand how this “Italian cigar” could help him find his destination. Office number 3.” Funny, isn’t it?Ī German friend always practicing his Spanish, was continually confused each time he asked for directions, because he always heard a word that he thought was “Cigarretto”. Due to this, directions are usually given using distance in meters from one point of reference to another.įor instance, typical Tico directions sound something like this: “From the ex-Toyota Building, 150 meters South and 80 meters East, on the two floors house with black fence in front of the mango tree. Chunche: Any object with a difficult or unknown name.ĭirections in Costa Rica are pretty hard, since most of the streets are not named and most houses not numbered. When locals are asked, “How are you?”, the most common answer will be “Puuuura Vida!” In the process of fully speaking and understanding the “Pura Vida language” these are other basic words that you will frequently hear: Pura Vida is used to show appreciation for life but is also used to describe positive people and nice situations. It is equivalent to saying “Everything is great!” or “Life is so good!”. They are joined as an expression of the pleasure and satisfaction about life that is characteristic of Costa Rican citizens. Together, these two words represent Costa Rica worldwide. The “Tico” Spanish is rich in variations and unique expressions well worth learning. One of the tasks that await us when we visit a new country is familiarizing ourselves with the expressions and nuances of the particular language of the area and Costa Rica is no exception. ![]() Tico Glossary : The essentials for visitors and newcomers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |