Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Throughout much of the Spanish-speaking world including Costa Rica, there is no more important time of year than Holy Week. The week begins with Palm Sunday (el Domingo de Ramos), includes Good Friday (el Viernes Santo), and ends with Easter (la Pascua de Resurrección). Known as Semana Santa, the week marks the triumphal entry of [...]

Adornos – decorations
Avenidazo – Nightly Christmas celebration held on San Jose’s Avenida Central prior to Christmas
El árbol de Navidad – Christmas tree
La corona – reef
Colacho – Costa Rican version of Santa
¿Cuál es tu propósito para el Año Nuevo? – What’s your New Year’s Resolution?
Deseando a todos una Feliz Navidad y un próspero Año Nuevo – [...]

A person who lends his name – Testaferro
Absolve – Absolver
Accusation – Denuncia
Accused person – Acusado
Accuser – Denunciante
Alibi – Coartada
Alimony – Pensión alimenticia
Appeal – Apelación
Appearance in court – Comparecencia
Acquit – Sobreseer, encontrar inocente
Arrest warrant. – Orden de captura, orden de aprensión, orden de arresto
Attach assets – Embargar/enganchar
Bar – Colegio de Abogados (Costa Rican equivalent)
Bail – Fianza
Beyond [...]

agradecido (por) — thankful (for)
el arándano rojo — cranberry
El camote – yam
la cazuela — casserole
la cena — dinner
comer — to eat
la calabaza — squash (the same Spanish terms also are used for other related plants)
el Día de Acción de Gracias — Thanksgiving
la familia — family
el fútbol americano — American football (not soccer)
gluglú gluglú — gobble [...]

Caja de breaker – breaker box
Canoa – rain gutter
Cava – wine cellar
Celosia – louvered window
Cemento – cement
Cerámica – ceramic floor tile
Cerchas – trusses used to frame structures
Cerradura – a lock Llavín in Costa Rica
Césped – lawn
Cielo artesonado – coffered ceiling
Cieloraso – the interior ceiling of a house
Chimenea – chimney
Chorrear concreto – to pour concrete
Cimientos [...]