Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

In Costa Rica it is difficult to “keep your bearings” since street signs are few and far between and most houses don’t have numbered addresses. Memorize the Spanish survival phrases below and you should be able to find your way around, located addresses and hopefully not get lost.

¿A qué distancia queda…?  - How far is…?
¿Dónde está…? - Where is…?
Tome la primera calle… - Take the first street
a la derecha - to the right
a la izquierda - to the left
directo/derecho - straight ahead
diagonal - diagonal to
a la par de - next to
¿Hay un…por aquí? - is there a …around here?
Doble a la derecha - turn right
Doble a la izquierda - turn left
una cuadra - a block
cien metros - a block in Costa Rica
cien varas - also a block in Costa Rica
entrada - driveway
la esquina - corner
cerca de - near
lejos de - far
frente a – across the street
en el cruce  - at the intersection
estoy perdido - I’m lost
Me puede dar las señas – Can you give me the directions?
¿Puede enseñarme el camino? - Can you show me the how to get to…?
norte - north
sur - south
este - east
oeste – west
a un costado de – to one side of

Tiquismos of the week:

1) Estar más perdido que el hijo de la Llorona – to be really lost
(2) Vara  is an old measurement which is the equivalent of a meter (2.8 feet). As I stated above “cien varas” and “cien metros” are also used for a city block. I have even heard “una teja” (slang for 100 colones)  used as slang for a city block.

The following expressions are used to express the idea of being tired of or fed up with something or someone.

Estar cansado/a de – to be tired of (very common phrase)
Estar harto/a – to be fed up with (very common phrase)
Estar hasta el copete – to be fed up with
Estar hasta el gollete - to be fed up with (Spain)
Estar hasta el gorro - to be fed up with (Mexico)
Estar hasta el moño - to be fed up with (Spain)
Estar hasta el tope - to be fed up with
Estar hasta la coronilla - to be fed up with (used widely in Latin America)
Estar hasta la madre - to be fed up with (used in Central America and Mexico); also means to be drunk
Estar hasta de cejas - to be fed up with
Estar hasta las narices - to be fed up with
Estar hasta los topes - to be fed up with
Estar hasta los ovarios - to be fed up with (very vulgar  and ONLY  used by women)
Estar hasta los cojones to be fed up with (very vulgar and used ONLY by men)
Estar hasta los huevos - to be fed up with (very vulgar and used ONLY by men)

Tiquismo of the week : Palmarse – to die

Below are some phrases which mean to get lost, take a hike, go to hell or even much worse. Be careful NOT use the offense expressions I have pointed out or you may end up in an embarrassing or dangerous life-threatening situation.  ¡Cuidadito! (Be careful!). By the way, many of these expressions are common in Costa Rica, but the locals will understand what you mean if you use them.

Mandar a freír buñuelos - to tell someone to get lost
Mandar a hacer gárgaras - to tell someone to get lost
Mandar a alguien a paseo – tell someone to take a hike
Mandar a alguien por el tubo – to tell someone to get lost
Mandar al demonio – to tell someone to go to hell
Mandar  al diablo – also means to tell someone to go to hell
Mandar a la goma – to tell someone to get lost
Mandar a freír esparragos - to tell someone to get lost

Careful!!!
Mandar a alguien a la mierda – very offense and vulgar
Mandar a algiuien a la eme – same as the last expression and also very vulgar
Mandar a alguien al carajo – very offense and vulgar
Mandar a alguien a la verga - to tell someone to get f**ked (very vulgar and dangerous to use this)
Mandar a la jodida or a la chingada – to tell someone to get f**ked (very vulgar and dangerous to use this)
Mandar a joder a su madre – to tell someone to go f**k his mother (you’ll virtually sign your death sentence if you use this)

Tiquismo of the week – Mandar güevo – an expression used for disbelief. Example: ¡Manda güevo que José no sepa manejar un carro! It’s unbelievable  Joe doesn’t know how to drive a car!