Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Last weeks Sunday edition of La Nación had some words that are really popular among Costa Rica’s youth. Here are the English translations:

¡Qué ahuevado! – How boring!
¿Al chile? – Really?
Aprete – A passionate kiss
Bañazo – Fool, ridiculous
Barra libre – a binge drinking party
¡Qué bostezo! How boring!
Caballada – When a person says something stupid or senseless
Cabro (a) – Boyfriend or girlfriend
Compa – Buddy or friend
Coger – to fornicate
Cool – Good or great
Cuero – An ugly woman
Cuerero – A person who hangs out with ugly women
Chante – House
Chema – Shirt
¡Qué chiva! – How cool or neat!
Chivo – a small concert
Echar – To kiss someone
Forrado – To have some money on you.
Ganar – To rob. Me ganaron mi iPod (They robbed my iPod)
¡Qué grossy! – How gross!
¡Qué guabal! – What a lie or what luck.
Guineo, banano, mariposa, flor – A homosexual (insulting)
¡Qué Heidy! – What a lie!
Jalar – to go (leave)
Joder – To bother someone. Molestar means the same thing.
Lacra – A thief
¿Legal? – Seriously?
Looser – A loser. Perdedor means the same thing.
Mae – Man,. Woman or any person.
Mall – Mall. The correct term is Centro Comercial.
¡Qué mica! – How bad or awful!
Mop – Friend
Muppet – Friend
Paque – Second hand.
Pichudo – Nice
Papi – A young person with money who dresses well.
Playada – Treason
Polo – A ridiculous person, out of style
Pollo – Soemone who does not have much experience
Pussy – Stupid, ugly or nice. Depending on the context.
Rajado – Incredible
Rata – A self-centered person or egotist
Ride – to give soemone a lift
Sádico – A handsome man
Sorry – Pardon me, sorry.
Suave – A cry baby
Ta’bien – It’s ok. Está bien is the right way to spell it.
Textear – To send a text message.
Un toque – Wait a moment
Varas – Any situation or thing.

Tiquismos of the week:

Al que no quiere caldo, dos tazas: when you don´t like something, you get to do it twice
Al tonto ni Dios ni el Diablo lo quieren: fools are disliked by God and the devil
Amor con hambre no dura: love without food cannot last
Andar con moco caído: to be in a sad mood

Tico humor and wordplay ( this may be tough to understand):
Decimal to pronounce wrong. Decir mal is the correct way to say it. Decimal literally means decimal

Some of the abbreviations that appear in the newspaper are included below.

Equipado – Equipped ( fully equipped.)
Esquinero – On a Corner.
Espacio – Space.
Estrenar (estren) – To Use For The First Time
Este – East
Estudio – Studio
Extranjero (extranj) – Foreigner.
Finca – Farm or Estate.
Finos Acabados – Nice Furnishings
Frente (fte) – Facing (frente pista – facing the highway.)
Ganadería – Cattle Farming.
Ganga – Bargain.
Garaje (gje) – Garage (Garaje p/2car – garage for 2 cars)
Grande – Large.
Gratis – Free (Internet gratis – free Internet.)
Guarda – Guard.
Gym – Gym
Habitaciones – Rooms.
Hectare (hect.) – Hectare.
Información – Information.
Inmobiliarios – Property, Real Estate.
Internet – Internet.
Inversión – Investment.
Jardín – Garden.
Lámapara – Lamp.
Lavandería – Laundry Room. Cuarto de pilas
Lavadora – Washing Machine.
Lavaplatos – Dishwasher.
Lindo/a – Pretty.
Línea Blanca (lín, lín/blanca) – Kitchen Appliances.
Lotes – Lots.
Lujo – Luxurious
Luz – Electricity.

Tiquismos of the week:

Alborotar el panel : to open Pandora´s box
Al chancho con lo que lo crian: if raised as a pig, always be a pig
Alegrón de burro: a happy reaction to great news that aren´t true
Al que le cae el guante que se lo plantea: speaking to all so you get the message

Tico humor and wordplay ( this may be tough to understand):
Camarón – literally means shrimp. In this case it is a big camera to take pictures. (Aparato enorme para sacar fotos)

A/C – Air conditioning.
Acre – Acre.
Agricultura – Agriculture.
Agua – Water.
Ahora – Now.
Alarma – Alarm.
Amplio (ampl.) – big
Amueblado (Amueb) – Furnished (semi amueblado = semi furnished.)
Apartamentos (Aptos) – Apartments (mini apto = mini apartment)
Apartotel – Apartment Hotel.
Aquileres – For Rent (se aquila = for rent.)
Árboles – Trees (árboles frutales – fruit trees.)
Área – Area
Baño(s) (bñs) – Bathroom(s)
Bello – Beautiful
Bienes Raíces – Real Estate
Bodega – Warehouse (for storage.)
Bosque – Forest.
Busco (from verb Buscar) – Look for….
Cable – Cable (TV)
Casa – House
Casa Club – In house Club or Club House.
Centro – Central (10 min SJ centro = 10 minutes from central San José.)
Centro Comercial – Commercial or Shopping Center.
Cerca – Near (cerca Embajada de Chile = near the Chilean Embassy)
Cochera (coch) – garage, sin (without) o con (with), c/s
Cocina – Kitchen, or Cooker.
Colindancia – adjacent to.
Comedor (comed) – Dining Room.
Comercial – Commercial (property.)
Comprar – To Buy
Con – With (sin o con, c/s – with or without.)
Condominio (condo) – Condominium (en condo = in a condominium.)
Construcciòn (constr) – Construction (200m2 constr = 200m2 of construction)
Contactar – Contact.
Contiguo – contiguous, adjoining.
Cortina – Curtain.
Cuadrado – Square.
Cubículo – Cubicle.
Depósito (de por depo) – Desposit ($350 + dep = $350 per month with deposit.)
Desarrollo – Development.
Detrás – behind (detrás Auto Mercado – Auto Mercado supermarket)
Diseño – Design.
Dormitorio (dorm, dor) – Bedroom (2dorm = 2 bedrooms)
Edificio (edific) – Building (en edific = in building)
Eléctrico (eléct) – Electric

Easement: Servidumbre
Encumbrance: Gravamen
Equity: El activo neto
Escrow: Depósito
Escrow Account: Cuenta para Depósitos en Garantía.
Extension of credit: Concesión de crédito
Extension Time: Prórroga
Family Name: Apellido
Fair Market Value – El valor de mercado justo
Fault: Defecto
Fee Simple: Dominio Absoluto
Estate: Finca
Fixed term: Plaza fijo
For sale: Se vende or en venta
Free and Clear Title: Título Libre de Gravamen
Hectare (2.5 acres): Hectárea
High season: Temporada alta
Horizontal Condominiums: Condominio horizontal
Horizontal Property: Propiedad Horizontal
Identification – Cédula
Interest rate – Tasa de interés
Investment: Inversión
Land: Tierra
Landlord – Casero
Lawyer: Abogado
Lease: Arrendamiento or Contrato de arrendamiento
Leases:  Arrendamientos
Lender – Prestamista
Lessee: Arrendatario
Lessor: Arrendador
Legal Entity: Personas Jurídicas
Line of credit – Línea de crédito
Lien: Gravamen
Loan: Préstamo
Lock box or safe: Caja fuerte
Lot: Lote
Low season: Temporada baja

Tiquismos of the week:

Aguanta más que un zorro – a strong person, tough to beat
Adventarse de la casa – to move to another house quickly
Más sentado que un frasco de balines – to be sitting comfortably
Por los zapatos se conoce el buen gusto de una persona – a person’s shoes say a lot about one’s taste
Zafalomo – an irresponsible or lazy person

Tico humor and wordplay (this may be tough to understand):

Inestable – a North American table that belongs to a woman by the name of Inés (mesa norteamericana de Inés)