No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArts & CultureLearning Costa Rica Spanish for expats and tourists: Part 9

Learning Costa Rica Spanish for expats and tourists: Part 9

You can’t call yourself fluent in Costa Rican Spanish unless you understand its slang.

Over the past several weeks, we have introduced you, dear reader, to tiquismos and costarriqueñismos as part of our “Tico Talk” series. Check out the previous installments here.

Tico Talk for expats and tourists: Part 9

Conchudo/a: A shameless person. Sin vergüenza or descarado/a mean the same.

Estuche: Slang for a soccer stadium.

Fulear: To fill something. The better-known Spanish verb is llenar.

Gato/a: A person with green, blue or light colored eyes.

Guayabas: Slang for eyes.

Machete: The tool of one’s trade (figuratively).

Pegar con cerca: To run into an obstacle (literally and figuratively).

Una Rubia: Slang for Costa Rica’s Pilsen beer. The term rubio/a means blonde in Spanish. Here we say macho/a for a person with blonde hair.

Salvar la tanda: To get out of a jam or trouble. Salir del apuro means the same thing.

Subírsele el apellido: Is to get angry. Enojarse or ponerse bravo/a mean the same thing.

¿Qué me dice?: How are you? or How’s it going?

Zocar: To hurry up. ¡Darte prisa! or ¡Apúrate! Are the same thing.

Tiquismos or Costa Rican expressions of the week:

Andar hasta el rabo hasta la mecha: To be drunk.

Dejar a alguien guindando: To leave someone in suspense.

A todo chancho gordo le llega su sábado: All things must end.

¡Qué buen toque!: What a good idea!

Christopher Howard has been conducting monthly relocation/retirement tours and writing retirement guidebooks for over 30 years. See www.liveincostarica.com.

He is also the author of the one-of-a-kind bestselling, “Guide to Costa Rican Spanish,” that can be purchased through Amazon.

Trending Now

Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world's most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the...

New Poison Dart Frog Species Discovered in Peru’s Amazon

Peruvian researchers have identified a new poison dart frog in the Amazon rainforest, adding to the region's rich array of wildlife. The tiny creature,...

Costa Rica TSE Seeks to Lift President Chaves Immunity

Costa Rica's electoral tribunal has stepped up pressure on President Rodrigo Chaves by asking lawmakers to strip his immunity over claims of political interference...

Costa Rica 2026 Elections Kick Off: 20 Candidates Vie for Presidency

Costa Rica's electoral season began yesterday with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's official call for the 2026 national elections. Eugenia Zamora, the TSE president, described...

Costa Rican Hotels Warn of Job Risks Amid Drop in Tourists

Hotels across Costa Rica face mounting pressures as tourist numbers dip and a sluggish dollar exchange rate eats into their earnings. From January to...

Tragic Blaze at Hotel Oriente Kills Five in Costa Rica Capital

A tragic fire ripped through the Hotel Oriente in central San Jose early this morning, leaving five people dead and sparking questions about building...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica