Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

The word “paso” has a variety of meanings and is used in a many expressions. It can mean: pace, footstep, a mountain pass and more.

A buen paso – at a good speed
A dos pasos – near to here. A pocos pasos, a un brinco or a un tiro de piedra (a stone’s throw away) are also used to express the same idea.
A este paso – at that rate. A este paso vamos a llegar en un par de horas. At this rate we will arrive in a couple of hours.
A pasos agigantados – by leaps and bounds Estamos mejorando a pasos agigantados. We are improving by leaps and bounds.
Acelerar el paso – to go faster. Tenemos que acelerar el paso si queremos llegar a tiempo. We have to go faster if we expect to arrive on time.
Aflojar el paso - to slow down. Aflojá el paso mae o vamos a llegar muy temparano. Slow down man or we’ll get there too early.
Apretar el paso – to hurry up. This means the same as acelerar el paso.
Dar los primeros pasos – to make the first move. Dar el primer paso is also used.
Dar un paso – to take a step
Salir de su paso – to change one’s normal routine or ways
Salir del paso – to get out of trouble
Volver sobre los pasos – to retrace one’s steps or go over one’s tracks.

Tiquismos (Costa Rican Expressions) of the week:

Meter la chancleta – means to go faster
Moncha – hunger. Tener hambre is the correct expression.
Monchis - also hunger
Monchar – to eat, Jamar is also used. The correct word is “comer.”

The word “paso” has a variety of meanings and is used in a many expressions

A cada paso – at every turn Fracaso a cada paso. I fail every step of the way.
A paso de tortuga – at a snail’s pace. José hace todo a paso de tortuga. Joe does everything at a snail’s pace.
Abrir paso a tiros – to shoot one’s way through. Los soldados abrieron paso a tiros por la multitud. The soldiers shot their way through the crowd.
Abrir paso por – To make one’s way through or force one’s way through. Los exploradores abririeron paso por la selva. The explorers made their way through the jungle.
Andar en malos pasos – to be on the wrong track or to do something bad. Los adolecentes andan en malos pasos. The teenagers are on their way to getting into trouble.
Ceder el paso – to yield the right of way. Knowing this expression can help non-Spanish speaker avoid car accidents. El chofer cedío el paso. The driver yielded the right of way.
Cerrar el paso – to cut someone off El futbolista le cerró el paso al otro jugador. The football player cut off the other player.
Dar un paso en falso – to take a false step. El dio un paso en falso y se cayó. He took a false step and fell.
Estar de paso –to be passing through a town, etc.
Llevar or marcar el paso – to keep time
Marcapasos – a pacemaker for the heart
Paso a paso –step by step Seguí las instrucciones paso a paso. I followed the directions step by step.
Paso de peatones or paso peatonal – crosswalk
Prohibido el paso – no trespassing El Rótulo dice “prohibido el paso.” The sign says “No trespassing.”
Salir al paso – to confront
Seguir los pasos – to follow in one’s footsteps. Mi hijo va a seguir mis pasos. My son is going to follow in my footsteps.
Un paso en la dirección adecuada –a step in the right direction José dio un paso en la dirección adecuada. Joe took a step in the right direction (figurative).

Tiquismos (Costa Rican Expressions) of the week:

Miado – to have bad luck (vulgar)
Tome para el pinto – take this you S.O.B. (vulgar)
Besar las huellas de tus pies – to worship the ground someone walks on

Salonero – waiter
¿Puedo ver el menú? – May I see the menu
¿Puede recomendarme algunos platos? – Can you recommend some dishes?
¿Cuál es la especialidad de la casa? – What’s the special?
El plato del día – The daily special in Costa Rica
¿Qué clase de… tiene? – What kind of …do you have?
Yo quisiera ver la lista de vinos – I’d like to see the wine list
¿Podría traerme …sin…? – Could you bring me…without…?
¿Con qué viene acompañado? or ¿Con qué viene? What comes with it?
¿Cuáles acompañamientos tiene? – What side dishes do you have?
¿Podría traerme…en vez de…? – Could you bring me…instead of …?
¿Tiene…? – Do you have?
Yo quisiera or me gustaría… – I would like. Don’t say “yo quiero” because it doesn’t sound as polite.
Soy vegetariano/a – I am a vegetarian
¿Podría traerme un plato limpio? Could you bring me a clean plate?
Yo quisiera un poco más de… – I’d like a little more…
Nada más. Gracias. – Nothing more. Thanks.
No puedo comer alimentos que tengan – I cannot eat food that contains…
¿Tiene porciones pequeñas para niños? – Do you have children’s portions?
Una porción pequeña, mediana, grande – A small, medium or large portion
Un pedazo de… – A piece of…
Es para llevar – It’s to go
Debe haber un error – There must be a mistake
Eso no es lo que pedí – That’s not what I ordered.
Yo pedí – I ordered…
Demasiado cocido – too well done, overcooked
Poco cocido – underdone, too rare
La comida está muy fría – The food is too cold.
Yo quisera hablar con el gerente or encargado – I’d like to speak with the manager.
Me puede empacar las sobras – Can you put the leftovers in a box?
La cuenta, por favor – The bill please
La cuenta tiene un error – The bill is incorrect.
La propina – tip
Quédese con el vuelto – Keep the change
Gracias por el excelente servicio – Thanks for the good service.

Tiquismos (Costa Rican Expressions) of the week:

maicero – a country person or a hick. Polo is another way to say the same thing in Costa Rica. These two words can be offensive if used in the wrong context.
mal parido or malparido – a bad or repugnant person. Mal nacido means the same thing. Both of these terms are extremely offensive and insulting. Be careful!

With all of the rain and the havoc it has caused I think now is a good time for the vocabulary below.

Alud – a landslide
Aislado or incomunicado – isolated or cut off
Avalancha – an avalanche
Baldazo – a rain storm or a lot of rain
Barrial – a lot of mud or mud hole
Barro - mud
Cabeza de agua - a type of flash flood where the stream of water drags everything with it like trees, rocks, boulders and other types of debris.
Cañada – a ravine
Cauce – river bed or channel
Damnificados – homeless victims of a natural disaster
Derrumbe – a landslide
Desastre natural – natural disaster
Desbordarse – to overflow. This means the same as salirse del cauce
Deslave – a wash out
Deslizamiento – landslide
Desprenderse – to break loose like rocks or debris
Inundación repentina – flash flood
La corriente – current or stream
Lodo- mud
Ponerse a salvo – move to safe groud and out of the path of the water
Refugio or albergue – shelter for victims of a natural disaster
Represa or presa - dam
Salirse del cauce – to overflow
Se fue el puente – the bridge went (was destroyed)
Se lleva todo lo que se encuentra a su paso – to destroy of take out everything it finds in its path like rushing water
Socavar, minar or falsear –to undermine
Inundación – a flood
Inundar – to flood

*Pasados por agua – soaked. Empapado is also used to express the same idea.

In Spanish there are two words that are frequently used for ears la oreja and el oído. The former is the external part of the ear. Oído is the inner part of the ear or sense of hearing.

Parts of the ear:
El estribo - stirrup
El lóbulo – ear lobe
El martillo - hammer
El oído externo - external ear
El oído medio – the middle ear
El tímpano – eardrum This word also refers to a percussion instrument called the kettledrum
La trompa de Eustaquio –eustachain tube
El yunque – anvil

El otorrinolaringólogo or médico de oídos, nariz y garganta – Nose ears and throat specialist. Note: there are two ways to say it in Spanish

Hear are some expressions using the word ear:
Agachar las orejas – to let someone dominate you.
Aguzar el oído - to be attentive or prick one’s ear
Arder las orejas – to believe or think that someone is talking or gossiping about you
Con las orejas gachas – to be dejected
De oído – to play by ear like some musicians do
Dumbo – a person with big ears like the cartoon character. Also the nickname the ticos fondly call Oscar Arias.
Enseñar la oreja – to show one’s true colors or intention
Jalarle las orejas – to pull one’s ears or to scold someone
Oreja – the fleshy outer ear or a person who spies on someone
Oreja de mercader – a deaf ear
Orejear - to eaves drop
Orejón – a person with big ears
Las paredes tienen orejas or las paredes oyen – the walls have ears
Parar la oreja – to listen or pay attention
Planchar la oreja – to sleep (iron one’s ear). Planchar means to iron clothers. In Costa Rica you will often hear aplanchar used instead of planchar.
Prestarle a alguien la oreja – to lend someone your ear (to listen)
Ser todo oídos – to be all ears
Verle las oreja al lobo –to see trouble coming