Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Having a good vocabulary is one of the keys to understanding and Speaking Spanish.  If someone asks you a question in Spanish and there is a word you don’t know, there is a good chance you won’t be able to understand the question. Conversely, if you are asked a question and there is a word or words you do recognize, you just might understand what is being asked.  Furthermore, when a native speaker is talking to you at full speed, you don’t have time to think about the meaning of words or you will be lost. Having a good vocabulary will help you avoid this situation.

It is surprisingly easy to build your Spanish vocabulary, because all that is involved is memorizing nouns, verbs and then learning how to use them to form sentences.  With a little self-discipline and motivation, anyone can build a Spanish survival vocabulary of between 200-3,000 words in a relatively short period of time. Even if you are lazy, you can learn a minimum of one new word a day.  At the end of a year you will know over 300 words.  If you are really motivated, then try memorizing five or more words a day.  By using this method you will be able to become your own teacher after a while.

An excellent way to build your vocabulary is to carry a pocket-size notebook around with you wherever you go and play a vocabulary game by asking yourself the names of different objects on the street and in your home. Then use a dictionary to find the meaning and start to make lists in your notebook. Visualizing the new word and associating it with the object it represents can help you learn easier. Study your new words everyday. Then practice using the words in simple sentences. Let’s  say you just learned the word “casa” (house).  To practice you can say, “La casa es grande” (The house is big).

You can also use a type of “pigion” Spanish to make yourself understood by using your vocabulary. For example,  by using a series of nouns you can describe a whole day’s activities. For example, Ayer (yesterday), mi familia (my family), coche (car), la playa (beach), agua (water), sol (sun), calor (heat), tarde (afterneoon), la casa (house), la cena (dinner), siete (seven o’clock), etc. As you can see by just using this method you can make yourself understood.

ajustar cuentas – to square accounts (revenge)
alborotar el panal – stir up trouble
armar la gorda- also to cause an uproar
armar un lío – cause an uproar
armar una bronca – cause an up roar
atizar la hoguera – make trouble
bochinche – a fight or quarrel
bochinchero – a fighter
el/la buscapleitos – someone who picks fights
buscar ruido al chicharrón – to look for problems
buscar tres pies al gato – to look for trouble
caer de gracia – to fall from grace
cagarse en la leche to screw up in Costa Rica (vulgar)
cavar su propia tubma – to dig your own grave (figurative)
chingar – to bother (vulgar). Also used widely in Mexico
dar una paliza or golpiza – to beat someone
dar un solo – to hit in Costa Rica
desmadre – caos
despelote – mess
despiche – confusion
estar en un apuro or aprieto – to be in jam or in trouble
estar en problemas – lso to be in trouble
gresca – quarrel
guardar rencor – to hold a grudge
hacer olas – make waves
hacer un escándalo – cause an uproar or ruckus
hacerle daño a alguien –to harm someone
hacerle la vida imposible a alguien – to make someone’s life miserable
jalarse una torta – to screw up or to impregnate (tiquismo)
joder – to bother (vulgar)
levantar espuma – means the same as the last three espressions
madrear also romperle la madre al alguien– to beat someone up
meterse en la camisa de once varas – get into trouble
meterse en problemas – get into trouble
pelarse el culo – to do something embarrassing or screw up
pelarsela – the same as the last expression
pelea campal –a free-for-all fight
pendenciero – a quarrelsome person
pichasear – to beat up or hit someon in Costa Rica (very vulgar)
problemón – big problem
rencillas – feud, grudge or quarrel
salir de Guatemala para entar en Guatepeor – to go from a bad situation to something even worse
tortero – someone who screws up (tiquismo)
zafarrancho – a quarrel or fight

Ser como las vacas… cagarse a la entrada y a la salida – to screw up (vulgar) cagarse en la gran puta (vulgar)