Here’s a list of some essential Tico expressions to speak like a local while you’re in Costa Rica (and to understand when Ticos speak to you… because “the deer in headlights look” is never – NEVER – a good look!)
- ¡Qué chiva! (keh CHEE-vah): “Awesome!” – “Tú surfeas tambien?¡Qué chiva!” – You surf too? Awesome!
- Ustedes (ooss-TEH-dess): “you all” informal. While in Spanish this is used as the formal way to address someone when there’s more than one person, in Tico this takes the place of “vosotros”, basically “you all. you guys”
- Rajado (rah-HAH-doh): Similar to amazing, when something is impressive.
“¡Qué carro más rajado!” – What an amazing car! - ¡Chuzo! (chew-zoh): “That’s cool!”
- Mae (mah-eh): it’s like saying “dude”, it’s how you call your friends, but also just slang to refer to men and women. “Mae, vamos!” – dude, let’s go!
- A cachete (ah kah-CHE-teh): When something is just right.
For example if someone asks you how your trip is going you can answer “Mae, a cachete” – It’s all going great! - La plata (lah PLAH-tah): “Money”. If you use the Spanish word “dinero”, Ticos will find it funny. Just use “la plata”. “vamos al banco por la plata” – “let’s go to the bank to get cash”
- Tuanis (TWAH-nees): Cool, awesome.
“¡Qué tuanis este barco! Es súper rápido” – This boat is so cool! It’s super fast!. - Qué dicha (keh DEE-tchah): it’s like “thank goodness”.
“Tengo muchissima hambre…Qué dicha que vamos a comer.” – I’m so hungry…Thank goodness, we’re going to eat. - Buena nota (BWEH-nah NO-tah): Meant as “good people”, to say that someone is a nice person.
“Qué buena nota es ese mae.” – That guy is a nice person. - Que pega (keh PEH-gah): when someone or something is very annoying “Irse al banco es una pega” – Going to the bank is a pain in the butt. (there’s usually a long waiting line at the bank, so you’ll hear this a lot at the ATM!)
- Que torta (keh TAWR-tah): In Spanish “torta” means “cake” and also “sandwich” but in Tico slang it’s used when one makes a big mistake, or screws up. “¡Qué torta!” – What a mess!
- Zarpe (SAR-peh): The “last” drink–though often not the last! It’s quite common, and often joked about, to order multiple “zarpes” in an evening. “Echemos el zarpe, para ya irnos.” – Let’s have our last drink before we leave.
- Que tigra (keh TEE-grah): when you fell bored or lazy. “Que tigra me tengo” – I’m so bored”
- Que camote (keh cah-MAW-teh): “camote” means “yam” but Tico use this expression about anyone or anything that is kinda CRAZY. “Ese mae esta camote” – That guy is nuts.
- Al chile (æl CHEE-leh): it’s like “really?” “are you serious?”. It’s used the same way as “verdad” but with a stronger emphasis.
- Choza/chante (CHAW-zah /CHAAN-teh): they both mean “house/home”. “Vamos a la choza” – Let’s go home.
- Pura paja (POOH-rah PA-ha): the literal translation is “straw”, but it’s used in Costa Rica to say “it’s bullsh*t!”
- Teja (TEH-hah): literally means “tile”, but it’s used to mean 100 (colones) in slang. “tres tejas” – 300 colones
- Rojo (RAW-haw): literal translation is “red”, but in Costa Rica is used for 1000 colones, because it’s a red bill. “dos rojos” – 2000 colones. This, like “teja” are used among Ticos when chatting, and maybe in shops, but you won’t hear this kind of slang at the bank, for example.
- Jumas (HOO-maz): drunk. No explanation needed here.
- Que lechero (keh lae-CHAE-roh): literally translates “what a milkman”, but it’s really used to describe someone very lucky. “Que lechero ese mae!”– That’s one lucky dude
- Detras de palo (dae-TRASS de PA-loh): the literal translation is “behind the tree”. This is used when you want to say that you don’t really know or understand much about something. “Estoy detras del palo que es eso” – I don’t know about this.
- And of course Pura Vida! (POOH-rah VEE-dah): This is by far the most famous and most used expression in the whole of Costa Rica! The translation is obviously “Pure Life”, but it’s used as a greeting, as a goodbye, as a way to say thank you, or at the beginning and end of conversations, both in person or on the phone, and finally, as an exclamation for anything GOOD!
