Speak Like A Local: Costa Rica Slang You Need To Know

Though it is possible to get by in Costa Rica – particularly Playas del Coco – without speaking Spanish, knowing at least a few words of the language can greatly enhance your trip to Costa Rica. We recommend downloading a dictionary and translation app on your phone to help ease communication. However, as with all regions of the world, you’ll quickly pick up on some frequently used words that your translation app may not recognize.

If you’re going to be spending time in Costa Rica, here are the Costa Rica slang words you need to know.

Tico. If you’re coming to Costa Rica, Tico or Tica must immediately become a vital part of your vocabulary. Much as Costa Ricans will unequivocally refer to you as a “gringo” if you look even slightly non-Latino, Costa Ricans equally refer to themselves with the catchy nationality nickname of Tico/a. You’ll hear generalizations about how “Ticos are like this,” and “Ticas are like that” and forever doubt your understanding of their comments unless you know that a Tico is a male native Costa Rican and a Tica, a female.

The source of “tiquismo” is the tendency in Costa Rican Spanish to apply the diminutive “-tico” or “-tica” as opposed to the more widely employed “-ito” or “-ita.” While not all words can implement the distinctly Costa Rican suffix, you’re most likely to hear it in the words that refer particularly to making something small even smaller and that contain a staccato-like consonant rhythm, for example “chiquitico,” or “poquitica.” So the next time you want a small bit of milk in your coffee with a small slice of cake, ask for “un poquitico de leche” and a “pedacitico de ese quequito”.

Pura vida! One of the most widely-heard Costa Rican phrases, “Pura vida!” is the official exclamation of Costa Ricans used to send out good vibes. Passing a friend on the street? Pura Vida! Someone asks you how you’re feeling? Pura Vida! Making plans to go out tonight? Pura Vida! Down on your luck but you’re staying optimistic? Pura Vida! In most cases where you want to radiate an all-else-fails, positive attitude, “Pura vida” is the way to express it.

Some suggest the phrase, which literally translates to “pure life,” first came to Costa Rica in the form of a 1950s Mexican film titled “Pura Vida,” but the deeper definition has quickly become the Costa Rican way of life. It’s positivity in the face of life’s obstacles, gratitude for the gifts of every day, and a peacefulness with one’s given state of being at all times. Staying pura vida in Costa Rica is one of the keys to enjoying the best that this country has to offer, particularly in the face of some other Costa Rican idiosyncrasies, like “Tico time” for example.

Buenas! Just when you think you’re getting the hang of your basic Spanish phrases, your confidence is shattered as you smile a pleasant “Buenos dias!” at the family of Ticos that pass, and they all respond in unison with “buenas!” All sorts of questions run through your head: Isn’t “Buenos dias” saying “good day”?…Is dias not right?…And isn’t it masculine?…What is feminine that would be good?….Why doesn’t any of this make sense?

Well, not to worry. “Buenas” is the general term Ticos use to say the cordial greeting of “buenos dias,” “buenas tardes” or “buenas noches” at any hour without specifying the time of day.

You can greet people all day long with the simple phrase, “buenas” and you will never have to worry about getting the particular phase of the day wrong on the spot. While most Ticos are used to hearing gringos attempt the general greetings “good morning,” “good afternoon/evening,” or “good night,” when you throw out a morning “buenas” instead of the classic “buenos dias,” you will surely surprise the Tico recipient towards which your greeting is directed with this more local salute. Of course, be warned, this also leads Ticos to believe you speak way more Spanish than you actually may, so use this greeting with caution!

Upe! If you’ve got Tico neighbors or ever been to a local neighborhood “pulperia,” you’re sure to have heard the local kids tapping their coin on the counter while shouting “upe!” to locate the missing convenience store attendant. Don’t bother looking it up in your Spanish/English dictionaries because you will be out of luck in finding such a typically Tico word. Unlike many other Costa Rican words, the “upe” has but one purpose: to announce your otherwise unnoticed arrival to someone else’s home or place of business.

“Upe!,” is a shout that dates back to colonial times and originates from the northwestern Guanacaste province. It was the shortened form of the local donation collector’s street-call for the festivals of the “Virgen of Guadaluuuuupeeeee!” When Guanacastecans were recruited to work the central valley coffee plantations, the use of the “upe!” traveled with them, and quickly spread around the country as a national exclamation. So, if you walk up to an empty store counter as you seek assistance during one of the seemingly frequent staff breaks, a gentle “upe!” into the back will alert your presence to the clerk, now slightly more likely to return because of your use of this culturally-accepted call.

Tuanis! Another great exclamation you are likely to hear in other Central American countries as well, the Costa Rican “tuanis!” is harder to pull off as a gringo than other Tico dichos. Unless you are already pretty “pura vida,” throwing a “tuanis” into a conversation will at first sound and feel awkward as it comes out of your mouth. Give it a go anyway, and try to pull off a casual “tuanis” in any place where you would typically respond with “cool!”

“Tuanis” is actually of El Salvadorian origin, dating back to the 19th century when a political and military leader designed a rudimentary code meant disguise secret messages during the Civil War. “Tuanis” was the coded form of the word “Buenos” and its use became popular throughout the entire Central American region. With natural fluidity, Ticos will easily call things that are “de buena vibra” or of good vibes as being “tuanis,” although you may still feel silly being so hip in another language. Just chill out, relax, and tell the world how “tuanis” you think last night’s party was; it’s all about the confidence.

Mae. Although it seems simple enough, the Costa Rican “mae” is actually quite a versatile word. You will almost immediately recognize the excessive use of “mae” in any conversation between Ticos who are friends, enemies, excited, or angry. While it sounds a lot like the English term “man,” as in “dude,” and its use is similar, the original term “mae” may come from a derogatory taunt to the unfortunate sap charged with mundane pressing out of shoe soles or “maje.” Other sources think it simply comes from the spelling using Spanish phonetics to pronunce “my friend” or “mae fren.” In any case, Ticos employ the term “mae” in a seemingly ever-expanding range of definitions.
Both men and women can be called “mae” as long as you are within the strictest confidence of your “compas” or “frenes.” If you were to refer to your boss, your mother or a police officer as mae, you may indeed find yourself in problems. Other than that, you can happily salute your friend with a “pura vida mae!” or aggressively confront an enemy with “qué te pasa mae?”

If a Tico says you are acting very “mae” it’s generally a negative, and if they’re telling you a story about “esos maes” they probably did something offensive. Sometimes the speaker is just taking an extended break to plan out their next course of conversation and they will fill it with a slow drawn out, “maaaaae.” The easiest way to begin understanding this Tico dicho and using it in your common speech is through the basic “dude” to “mae” conversion. Maaaae, once you start, mae, you’ll soon figure out, mae, how “esos maes” fit so many “maes” into one sentence, mae.

Güila. Written as both “güila” and “wila,” the term can be found across the Central American countries as “little girl.” In Costa Rica, however, the definition is more varied. Popularly heard on school playgrounds, children will refer to a group of their classmates as “güilas,” including either a boy or girl under the unisexual moniker of “güila.” But it doesn’t stop there.

Teenage girls, and up to young female adults will often refer to themselves as “güilas.” “What do you want to do tonight, güilas?” you might ask your all-female group of friends. A girlfriend of almost any age can be referred to as a “güila,” and your mae friends might ask “Where is the “güila” tonight?” if she lets you out to party with the boys solo. To be safe, stick with using güilas when speaking to a bunch of school-children. When you’re feeling brave, send a WhatsApp to your group of Tica gal-pals and ask them “Where are we drinking tonight, güilas?” and show off your knowledge of Tiquisia!

Diay! Probably my favorite Tico dicho, with enough practice, the exclamation “diay!” can quickly become second nature. Mostly of the interrogative nature, “diay” is most easily implemented in the place of one-word prompters for more information such as “huh?” “what?” “seriously?” “well?” “and?” “because?” Used to express a mix of surprise, confusion and a lack of information, “diay” can easily replace a great number of English exclamations and sentence fillers.

Besides being interrogative, “diay” can also proceed a statement, usually one expressing an inevitable fact. For example, when asked why you aren’t going to the big concert you can respond, “Diay, I would love to but I don’t get paid until next week.”

Chiva. While you’re much more likely to hear this one in San Jose, you’ll sound like a natural anywhere in Costa Rica if you can throw in the positive Tico dicho, “que chiva!”. They’ll most likely take you as a “Chepeño,” or having come from Chepe, the nickname for anyone named Jose, including the country’s bustling capital. But its popularity even beyond San Jose make it unmistakably Tico to replace a “wow,” “great,” or “excellent!” with a “chivisima!”
Although the word exists in many different forms across Latin America, Costa Ricans seem to be the only ones who intend it to mean something positive. With other countries stretching the definition from “lies” to “beard,” throwing a “chiva” in your conversation outside of Costa Rica will undoubtedly land you with some strange looks in response. But amongst Ticos, have no fear! Its “chiva” to be “chiva” in Costa Rica and in most cases it can become your universal response to good news!

Fulano/a. Despite numerous conversations surrounding the mysterious entity “Fulano” or his female-suffixed sister “Fulana,” you will probably never get to meet the enigmatic characters during your time in Costa Rica. Or ever for that matter. While Fulano and Fulana seem to play the main roles in a great number of stories as told by Ticos, the name is actually a non-specific person whose only distinguishing feature is their sex, indicated by their name ending in either an -o or an -a.

Particularly present in stories where all of the details are a little hazy, some guy Fulano or some lady Fulana serve as gap-fillers for Ticos when recounting the people who participated yet did not significantly contribute to any given event. The most likely origin of the term is actually the Arabic word “Fulan,” and could best be translated in English as “What’s-his-face” or “What’s-her-face.” So, if you hear that some tal Fulana did something really crappy to you or one of your friends, stop searching for her name in Facebook – all you need to know about Fulana is that she’s some unimportant person who doesn’t even warrant her name to be spoken, and move on in peace and pura vida!

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