Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

The purpose of these lists of words is to build your vocabulary. The more more words you know the better you will be able to express yourself and the more you will understand.

obituario – obituary
difunciones – obituary
esquela – space on the obituary page where a dead person is mentioned
angel de la muerte – angel of death
cremar or incinerar – to cremate
enterrar or sepultar – to burry
entierro or sepultura – burial
Sepultero - gravedigger
panteón o cementerio – cemetery
tumba - grave
cripta – crypt
lápida – tombstone
cielo –heaven
infierno – hell
embalsamar – to embalm
morir or fallecer – to die
patear el balde – to kick the bucket
con una pata en la tumba – with one foot in the grave (saying)
estar de luto – to be in mourning
llorar – to mourn
ataúd or féretro – coffin
portaféretro - pallbearer
carro funerario/fúnebre- hearse
vela or velorio or velatorio – wake
sala de velación – viewing room
funeral – funeral
funeraria – funeral home

Tiquismos of the week - palmarse – to die (in Costa Rica) pasar a mejor vida – to die (in Costa Rica)

Noted Costa Rican linguist, Miguel A, Quesada Pacheco , defines the word “pachuco” as: a person with unacceptable social customs, a kind of woman’s underwear or a type of street slang used by young people. In this series of columns I will only deal with the last definition.

Cagada/o de risa – a funny person or thing (vulgar)
Dar pelota – to flirt
Darle vuelta – to cheat on someone
Dejar plantado – to stand someone up
Despiche – a mess
Echarle el ruco – to hit on someone or try to pick them up. Echar el cuento or echar el caballo are also used.
Echarse – to drink something
Echarse al pico – to tell on someone
Embarcarse – to commit an error or get involved in a difficult situation
Enfiestarse – to party
Enchingarse – to take off ones clothes
Está legal – means something is cool
Estaca – a cheap person
Estar en todas – to be well informed. Estar sobre la jugada is a similar expression
Estar hasta el culo – to be drunk on ones ass (vulgar)
Estar limpio/a – to be without money
Estrilón – a complainer

You point with your lips.
You snap your index finger against your second
(bird) finger when you think something’s funny or incredible.
You miss the chaos when you leave the country.
You miss the way black beans in restaurants used to be whole and had a different flavor.
Diay and puta come out of your mouth like you were born to them.
You watch a Spanish language movie and you understand the body language that gives another layer of nuance to the acting.
You start to prevaricate so somebody else can save face.
You answer bien por dicha even when the other person doesn’t ask you how you were, but you were expecting them to, so you say it automatically.
The sound of a gringo accent in Spanish makes your ears bleed.
You get pissed off when your friend slams the door to your car.
You go to an English speaking country and when you want to ask for a glass of water the first thing out of your mouth to a waiter in a restaurant is “mae, regalame….” and you don’t get why he’s looking at you funny.

Despu?s de a??o y medio en clases, me doy cuenta todo lo que he aprendido del dioma Ingles. Para aumentar un poco el l?xico del idioma ingles, les hago una peque?a contribuci?n:

BETWEEN BETWEEN AND DRINK A CHAIR: Entre entre y toma una silla
IN FOR NOTHING SILVER NO GREEN: Empanada de platano verde.

Para los que creen que saben mucho ingles, ? a que no conocian las siguientes frases?:

FOR IF THE FLIES: Por si las moscas.
ARE YOU DRINKING MY HAIR?: Me estas tomando el pelo?
TO THROW THE STORY: Echar el cuento
WHAT IS THE STICK: Que es la vara
GO TO KNOW: Anda a saber.
TO PULL THE PIE: Jalarse la torta
LIKE WHO DOESN’T WANT THE THING: Como quien no quiere la cosa.
I DON’T GIVE MORE: No doy mas
WITH ALL THE LEG: Con toda la pata
TO HANG YOUR TENNIS: colgar los tennis
SEE HER HAIRY: Verla peluda
IT MATTERS ME A WHISTLE: Me importa un pito
TO BE A DEAD LITTLE FLY: Ser un mosquita muerta
TO GIVE BALL: dar pelota
FRESHIER THAN A LETTUCE: Mas fresco que una lechuga
CAT FOR RABBIT: gato por liebre
DON`T YOU HILL OVER THE FLYING PANCAKE: No se monte en la arepa voladora
FOR THE TIGER: pa’l tigre
MY LIFE IS FULL OF INHALATIONS: Mi vida estA llena de aspiracion
MORE SALTED THAN A SAILOR SNOT: Mas salado que un moco marinero
GO PULLING: Va jalando

Ademas hay que agregar cosas como:
Open monkeys: Abramonos
Let’s row: Rememos
Pure tens: Puros dieces
What a big glue: Que gomon
Pure life: Pura vida (infaltable)

Ciudades en Costa Rica:
BIG FROG = Zapote
IF YOU WANT = Siquirres
THE VALLEY OF THE GOLD YES = El Valle de Orosi
CAR TO GO = Cartago
IF YOU LAUGH =Aserri
TINAS GOLD = Orotina
THOSE LEFT ALONE = Desemparados
THE BLANKET = La Sabana
FOR LESS= Escazu

Noted Costa Rican linguist, Miguel A, Quesada Pacheco , defines the word “pachuco” as: a person with unacceptable social customs, a kind of woman’s underwear or a type of street slang used by young people. In this series of columns I will only deal with the last definition.

Abrirse - to split (to leave)
Agarrarse - to fight
¡Al chile! - Really! Seriously!
Apretar - to kiss
Batear -to lie or talk a lot of crap
Bostezo - a boring person
Blanco - a cigarette
Botar el rancho - to vomit
Bote or tarro - jail
Bretear - to work
Buchón - somebody who hogs things
Burrada - a stupid act
Cachos - shoes
Caña - a colón (money)
Chapulín - a juvenile delinquent
Chepe - Slang for the city San José or nickname for a man called José
Chepito - a snoopy person
Cruz - shirt