Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

In case you missed this in yesterday’s AM Costa Rica, here is something for all of you enamorados (people in love). Enjoy!
Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In Spanish-speaking countries the holiday is called Día de los Enamorados . It is [...]

Guilt – Culpa
Guilty – Culpable
Hearing – Audiencia
Higher court – Corte superior
House arrest – Arresto domiciliario or casa por cárcel
I.D. Card – Cédula
Illegal- Ilegal/prohibido
Illegal enrichment – Enriquecimiento ilícito
Impediment to leave country – Impedimento de salida
Innocent – Inocente
Jail – Cárcel
Judge – Juez (masc.)/Jueza (fem.)
Justice – Justicia
Key witness – Testigo clave, testigo estrella (star witness)
Law suit [...]

Guachos – sunglasses
Cachos – shoes
Caite – shoe
Calzón – a woman’s underwear. Ropa interior is a more correct term.
Chema – camisa
Chingoleta – woman who wears little clothes
Chonete – hat
Chuicas – clothes (old or rags in a figurative sense)
Cruz – shirt
Cuello de tortuga – turtleneck
Faja – belt also used for the fan belt of a car.
Gabacha – [...]

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 [...]

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: [...]