Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Neither La Extra nor La Teja are examples of good journalism, but can serve as useful tools for learning Costa Rican slang. Both are the most read newspapers in Costa Rica,. They are famous for their use of red ink in their headlines and sensationalism.

Why does one need to learn the local lingo? Because most of the Costa Ricans use it and you may be lost at times without it.

Here are the some of the words I found in both papers the other day:

Bombazo – a loud noise produced by a car crash or a big news event like a scandal
Guatear – to rain or take a bath
Cacos – criminals
Chepito – a nosey person or snoop
Colmillo – literally means fang but in this case it means to be shrewd or smart. Vivo is a synonym.
Echarle ojo – means to look at something
Fiebre – a soccer (football) fanatic
Melones – literally means melons but is slang for the word “millions”
Oijotos – agents from the O.I.J. investigative unit
Rodar cabezas – heads will roll which means people will get fired. Cortar el rabo also means to fire someone.
Secre – short for secretary
Silla caliente – the hot seat like the witness stand during a trial
Tabo – jail. El tarro (the can) is also used
Trocha – a road. This term has been in the news lately when referring the road being built along the border with Nicaragua.
Tucas – a woman’s legs
Una mami- a good looking woman
Volarle filazos – to stab someone

The mayor of San José, just announced that a bike path or ciclovía will be built across San José along streets that are less traveled by automobiles, thus making it safer and easier to ride a bike through the capital. The bike lane will extend from the Law School at the University of Costa Rica in the eastern suburb of San Pedro to the Sabana Park in the west.

Biking terms

Alforjas – saddle bags or panniers
Aro or llanta – rim
Bicicleta a la medida – custom built bike
Bicicleta de montaña – mountain bike
Bielas – crank set
Blocaje rápido or Cierre Rápido – quick release
Bomba or inflador – pump
Cambio trasero – rear derailer
Cadena – chain
Cámara – tube of a tire
Candado – lock
Ciclovía – bike path
Corona – gears
Componentes – components
Desviador delantero – front derailer
Desviadores – derailers
Dientes – teeth on a chain ring or gear
Eje – axle
Eslabón – links on a chain
Espaciadores – spacers
Fibra de carbono – carbon fiber used to make some lightweight bike frames
Frenos – brakes
Guardabarros – fender
Horqueta – fork of a bike
Manubrios or guías – handle bars
Marco or cuadro – frame
Montar or andar en bicicleta – to ride a bike
Palanca de freno – brake arm
Parqueo de bicicletas – bike racks or place to park a bike
Pedales – pedals
Pedalear – to pedal
Piñones – sprocket
Plato – chain ring
Porta bicicleta – a bike rack for a car like Yakima
Portaequipaje – rack on the back of a bike
Poste de manubrio – handle bar stem
Puño – handlebar grip
Radios or rayos – spokes
Sillín – bike seat
Tija sillín – seatpost
Triciclo – tricycle
Tubo superior -crossbar
Tubo inferior o diagonal – down tube of frame
Tuerca – nut
Uniciclo – unicycle
Válvula – tire valve

Related Tico Expression:

Bici – term for bike
Cletear – to ride a bike
Cleta- also a bike
Policleto – police on bikes
Volar pedal – to ride or pedal a bike

Calcular – to calculate or work out. Most often used with math but can also be used figuratively. La mujer es muy calucaladora. The woman is sly, astute or calculating. A calculadora is a calculator. Cálculos are kidney stones or mathematical calculations. Según mis cálculos means according to my calculations. Finally, cálculo is branch of math called calculus.

Hacerle números – literally to crunch numbers or do the math. In a figurative sense in means to figure something out or calculate. For example, El gato está observanado su presa y haciéndole números. The cat is trying to figure out how to catch his prey.

Sacar cuentas – literally to figure out the bill or do the math. It can also mean to “add things up” so they make sense or figure out something.

Deducir – to figure out by the process of deduction.

Ver – Usually means to see but can be used like this: José está viendo si tiene suficiente dinero para comprar un carro. Joe is try to see or figure out if he has enough money to buy the car.

Ingeniárselas – to figure out or manage to. José se las ingenío para conseguir una beca. Joe figured (managed to) out a way to get a scholarship.

I hope all of the above makes sense.

Tiquismos:

Pulseador – a person who works hard. It comes from the verb pulsear which means to make a big effort or work hard. Pulseador is also an arm wrestler so pulsear means to arm wrestle. Un pulso is an arm wrestling contest. Pulso also means a person’s pulse. Tome el pulso means to take someone’s pulse. Tomar el pulso a la opinión means to take a poll to see the public’s opinion. Encuestar (to poll) mean the same thing.

A la hora en punto – on the dot (time)
A primera hora – first thing in the morning
A última hora – at the last minute
Dejar las cosas hasta útima hora – leave things to the last minute
Era hora – it was about time (you did something, etc.)
Es hora de + verb – It’s time to…. For example, es hora de ir.. it is time to go
En las altas horas de la noche – late at night
En buena hora – fortunately
Hora de comer – mealtime
Horas extras or horas extraordinarias – overtime (work)
Horas libres – free time
Horas de oficina – office or business hours
Horas pico – rush hours
Poner el reloj en la hora – to set a clock
Trabajo por horas – to be paid by the hour

Tico Expressions:
Hora tica – “Tico time” which refers to arriving late
Vivir horas extras – to live on borrowed time

The verb dar usually means “to give” in Spanish. However, it is used with many idiomatic expressions where it can mean something else.

Dar de palos or dar de puñetazos – to punch someone
Dar en el blanco – to hit the nail on the head or be right on target
Dar las gracias – to thank
Dar por hecho – to take for granted. Dar por sentado also means the same thing.
Dar rienda suelta a – to give free rein to
Dar un paseo – to take a walk
Dar un paso en falso – to take a false step
Darle a uno por hacer algo – to get into one’s head to do something
Darse – to surrender or give up
Darse con – to bump into something. Toparse con is also used.
Darse cuenta de – to realize
Darse por vencido – to give up
Darse prisa – to hurry up

Expression:
Dar lata – to pester or bother
Dar pelota – to pay attention to
Dar vuelta a – to cheat on one’s mate or turn something