Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

Feet are used in many Spanish expressions.

There are many uses of the words feet and foot in idiomatic expressions. The word for foot in Spanish is el pie, pronounced (pee-ay). The word pata is generally used to refer to the leg on a piece of furniture or an animal’s foot.

However, in jest pata is sometimes used to refer to a human’s feet. For example: Estar con un pie en la tumba means to have one’s foot in the grave. Often expats will hear Estar con una pata en la tumba, which means the same thing. They may also hear, Voy a pie (I’m going on foot). But some people say jokingly, Voy a pata. Pata can be used to get a laugh out of people (sacarles una cacajada).

Hear are some expressions using pie and pata:

A pie firme – steadily (progress).
Al pie de la letra – to the letter, exactly.
Al pie del cañon – to be working. Morir al pie del cañon means to die with your boots on.
Balompié – soccer.
Buscar tres pies al gato – to look for trouble (to look for three feet on a cat).
Cienpies – centipede.
Comenzar con el pie derecho – to start off on the right foot. Comenzar con la pata derecha.
Con pies de plomo – Carefully (with lead feet).
De pies a cabeza – from toe to head. Lo revisé de pies a cabeza. I examined it from head to toe.
En pie – standing like a house that survived a hurricane.
Estar con una pata en la tumba – to have one foot in the grave.
Estirar la pata – to die or kick the bucket. Patear el balde also means to kick the bucket.
Ir a pie – to go on foot. Vamos a pie. Let’s go on foot.
Meter la pata – to put your foot in your mouth.
Nacer de pie – to be born lucky.
No tener ni pies ni cabeza – not to make heads or tails of it or it makes no sense.
Pata de palo – peg leg.
Patas arriba – upside down or topsy-turvy (a mess).
Patas de gallina – crow’s feet (wrinkles around the eyes).
Patear – to kick.
Patear el culo – to kick someone’s butt (vulgar).
Patituerto/a – pigeon-toed. Also heard are patas de pato and pies encontrados.
Patón – someone with big feet.
Perder el pie – to lose one’s footing.
Pie de atleta – athlete’s foot.
Pies planos – flat feet.
Ponerse de pie – to stand up.
Saber de qué pie cojea – to know one’s weak point. El lado flaco or talón de Aquiles means the same thing.
Se le fueron los pies – to stumble. Literally his feet went out from under him.
Sólo salgo con los pies de frente – You’ll only take me out of here feet first (dead).
Soldado a pie – foot soldier, infantry.

Related Tiquismos (Costa Rican expressions):

A pata pelada – bare feet.
Bailar en una pata – to be happy,
Con toda la pata – when a person feels great.
Echar patas – to disappear or used when an object gets robbed.
Estar con una pata en el estribo – to be about to do something or have one foot out the door.
Llevar entre patas – to possess a woman sexually (vulgar).
Parar las patas – to fall.
Pata caliente – someone who likes to travel or hang out in the street.
Pata de chancho – a crow bar.
Pata de perro –means the same as pata caliente.
Patas vueltas – a good-for-nothing or insignificant person.
Patear con los dos – to be bisexual.
Salir con una pata de banco – used when a single woman gets pregnant.
Tener patas – to have pull or influence.
Volar pata – to walk.
Zafarse las patas – to commit an error or get pregnant as a single woman

Whether you like it or not the rainy season is now upon us. Anyone who lives here knows that in Costa Rica there are more rainy months than dry months. The rainy season or invierno, usually runs from May to November but this can vary from year to year. At times, there is an unseasonably dry spell or Indian summer at the end of June. The Costa Ricans call this pause in the rainy weather, Veranillo (de San Juan), or “little summer.” Some years there is a relatively dry period in August which is referred to as canícula when there is a respite in the May to November rains.

In Spanish there are a lot of words and expressions that have to do with water and rain. Here are some of them. Have fun with this.

A las aguas mansas hay que tenerles miedo – be careful of calm waters (literally). Beware of the meek and mild (figuratively).
Abril lluvioso, saca a mayo florido y hermoso – April showers bring May flowers
Agua bendita – a loose woman. Everyone sticks their hand in the holy water. Get it? Literally this means holy water.
Agua dulce – fresh water
Agua potable – drinking water
Agua salada – salt water
Agua de abajo depende de agua de arriba – upstream the cows piss in the water and downstream people drink it. The water downstream depends on the water upstream
Agua de lluvia – rain water
Aguas negras – sewage
Agua pasada no mueve molina – it’s no good crying over spilt milk. Also No llorar sobre la leche derramada.
Agua que no has de beber, dejalo correr – If you’re not going to drink the water than let it run. Other possible translation..You shouldn’t get mixed up in things that are of no interest to you or if you’re not going marry a person then let then him or her go.
Aguacero – a rain storm
Aguado – a boring person
Aguafiestas – party pooper, killjoy
Aguamar – jellyfish. Medusa is also used
Aguar la fiesta – to spoil the party
Ahogarse en un vaso de agua – to make a mountain out of a molehill
Baldazo – a heavy rain. Literally..a bucket full
Caerle como balde de agua fría – to not like something of someone. Me cae como balde de agua fría. You may also say me cae como una bomba. If you really want to be vulgar and insulting you can say “Me cae en la pura picha.” I do not recommend the latter if you value you life.
Cambiarle el agua al pajarito – to take a pee (change the bird’s water)
Cuando corren los canales, no salgas de tus umbrales – When it rains a lot, don’t leave the house.
Dar agua a los caites – to flee
Diluvio – a pouring rain
Echarse al agua – to take the plunge (figurative) or to tell on someone
En su charco – to do what one likes (in one’s pond)
Estar como agua para chocolate – to be mad or..estar hirviendo (boiling)
Estar con agua al cuello – to be up to one’s neck in something
Garuar – to drizzle in Costa Rica
¡Hombre al agua! – Man overboard!
Lo que por agua se viene y por agua se va – Easy come, easy go
Las desgracias nunca vienen solas – When it rains it pours
Las manos aguadas – butterfingers Manos de mantequilla is also used
Le va a llover – something is going to happen to you in abundance. Le va a llover dinero – You will make a lot of money.
Lo que por agua viene por agua se va – easy come, easy go
Llover a cántaros or llover zapos (toads) y ranas (frogs)– to rain cats and dogs.
Lloviznar – means to drizzle
Llueva o truene – come rain or shine
Lluvioso – rainy
Mañana oscura tarde segura – rainy weather in the morning gives way to a dry afternoon
Metérsele el agua – to go crazy
Nadar entre dos aguas – to be indecisive or to be sitting on the fence
No alcanzar para agua – to make ends meet or scrape by
No dar ni agua – to be very stingy
No hallar el agua en el mar – can’t see the forest through the trees
No te agüites – Don’t get sad!
Pasado por agua – soft boiled
Pelillo de gato – drizzle Llovizna is the correct Spanish word
Se me hace agua la boca – my mouth is watering
Venir como agua de mayo – to be a godsend

Antojar is a verb that has a variety of uses and is difficult for beginners to master. This should stat you on your way.

A su antojo – to do as one pleases
Example:
Quiero hacerlo a mi antojo – I want to do it my way

Antojar - to crave, to take a sudden fancy to; to Imagine
Example:
Se me antojó bastante dificil – I fancy it is it pretty difficult.
Se me antoja que va a llover – I’ve got imagine it is going to rain

Antojarsele a uno – to get into one’s head
Example:
Se me antojó ir a Costa Rica – I got it into my head to go to Costa Rica
No se le antoja ir – He doesn’t want to go

* The construction of the sentences in the examples above is much too difficult to explain to beginners.

Antojo – a whim or craving
Una mujer embarazada tiene muchos antojos raros– a pregnant woman has a lot of strange cravings

Antojos – can mean the same as antojitos below.
Antojitos - Snacks, hors d’oeuvres; traditional Mexican snack foods but also eaten in Costa Rica. Los Atojitos is the most famous and oldest chain of Mexican restaurants in Costa Rica.
Antojería – a restaurant that serves Mexican food.

Estar antojado – to want something

Expression of the week:

Si no te aclimatas, te aclichingas – If you don’t adapt, you will get screwed.
Al pueblo que fueres, haz lo vieres – When in Rome do as the Romans

In the April 10th edition of La Nación there was an article about the benefits of watching soap operas called telenovelas or culebrones. According to Jorge Ignacio Covarrubias, the secretary of North American Academy of the Spanish Language, telenovelas enrich and spread the Spanish language. They help increase the viewer’s vocabulary, teach new ways of saying things and improve channels of communication.

Telenovelas seem to be the opiate of the masses in Latin America. Most television stations show at least four to six of them per day. Spanish soap operas are even becoming popular in other countries where the are dubbed into different languages.

On thing is for sure. If you are serious about learning the Spanish language there is no better vehicle. Once you have a basic Spanish vocabulary you should be able to get the gist of what the characters are talking about in any soap opera. By watching telenovelas you will be exposed to dialogue from everyday conversations which is how the language is really spoken. Your ear for the language will aslo improve. The more soap operas you watch the better you will speak Spanish. Continue to use courses like the Rosetta Stone, www.livemocha.com and Pimsleur but supplement them with telenovelas.

Retirees and others who move to Costa Rica will discover learning Spanish is a life-long hobby and the most effective way to immerse themselves in the local culture.

In my column about Easter last week I forgot the Easter-related sayings or dichos below. Remember that la Pascua de Resurrección or la Pascua florida mean Easter in Spanish. By the way, la pascua de los hebreos is Passover.

Estar como unas pascuas or más alegre que unas pascuas – to be very happy
Hacerle la pascua a uno – to bother someone or make their life miserable
¡santas pascuas! – means …”and that’s that.” This is used when something is concluded. Aquí está su dinero..y ¡santas pascuas! Here is your money and that’s that.
De Pascuass a Ramos – means “once in a blue moon.”
Cada muerte de obispo is also means the same thing.

Tiquismos of the week:

Levantarse con el pie derecho: to get up with the right foot
Levantarse con el pie izquierdo: to get up with the left foot