Ticos, as Costa Ricans are known, go beyond a PURA VIDA in their daily talk. Within the most used words of the ticos we can hear some like "mae", "que tuanis" and "compa", and even expressions like "que rajado" and “que me dice".
Costa Rica besides being an ecotourism destination worldwide, is also identified by the peculiar PURA VIDA. This expression means as many things as we can imagine. Even so, ticos have a variety of words or phrases with which they refer to everyday things, emotions, and ways of being. Ticos are what they themselves define as "dicharacheros" a kind of talkative. They use lots of nicknames and popular non-official words. Most of these words only the ticos can understand. Within a common conversation of a tico, can be heard phrases or words used to call objects or ways to describe situations.
The Costa Ricans or Ticos are known to be friendly people, but also talkative. When you visit Costa Rica you will observe and listen to use words to call people or things in diminutive.
It is posible to hear words like “el parquecito” means little park, “la ranita” means little frog, “el chiquito” means child, “el perrito” means little dog or puppy, and many more.
Traveling is to meet people and cultures. Costa Rica is a destination where is easy to exchange culture experiences. The travelers could be part of the daily life very quickly because Costa Rican people are so friendly and warm with their visitors. Besides its nature flora and fauna, Costa Rica has a cultural wealth, based on its people and its history.
Some of the most popular and colloquial words and phrases a tourist can hear are,
Acharita: indicates sadness
Más agarrado que mono en ventolero: selfish person, stingy person
Que aguevado: boring person, something is boring
Amarrar el perro: don´t pay debts
Aplanchar la oreja: go to bed, go to sleep
Ando a pata: don´t have car so must walk
Troliada: walk a lot, many kilometers
Yodo: coffee
Tiene cachos nuevos: have new shoes
Se armó la gorda: a fight starts
Carne molida: person who makes many mistakes
Chunche: anything, a book is a “chunche”, a spoon is a “chunche”
Colgar los tenis: to die
Que tuanis: nice, wonderful, awesome
Those words are a few examples what a traveler can expect in a trip around Costa Rica. This is part of the essence of ticos and show their good sense of humor.
Now you know, when you visit Costa Rica do not lose an afternoon in the park of the town. You will be surprised!
Costa Rica, lugar de encuentro con las ballenas. Estos grandes mamíferos visitan las cálidas aguas del Pacífico Sur para reproducirse. Viajan desde sus áreas de alimentación en América del Norte y del Sur.
Si está esperando la próxima temporada de verano de Costa Rica, es posible que se esté perdiendo la experiencia más intensa de Pura Vida que ocurre ahora, en la temporada verde y lluviosa. El bosque cobra vida en la temporada de lluvias.
Una de las razones por las que la gente viaja a Costa Rica es por los paisajes vírgenes. Caminar en Costa Rica significa disfrutar de la vida silvestre a lo largo de las montañas, la selva o el bosque descubriendo nuevas aventuras.