pura vida
Greeting, farewell, thanks, or a way to say everything is fine.
—¿Cómo estás? —¡Pura vida!
Language as it is lived
Costa Rican expressions: meanings and usage
A practical guide to Costa Rican words and expressions, with meanings, examples, register and usage context.
Before you begin
Listening first sounds more natural
These words help you understand informal conversations, but you do not need to repeat all of them to communicate well. Mae, chante and jama are highly colloquial; neutral vocabulary is safer in an institution, job interview or first conversation.
mae
Very informal way to address or refer to someone; similar to “mate,” “dude” or “guy.”
Mae, ¿vamos por un café?diay / idiay
Flexible interjection that can introduce an answer, surprise, doubt or resignation.
Diay, no sabía que venías.tuanis
Good, pleasant or excellent; also used to show approval.
El paseo estuvo tuanis.al chile
“Really” or “seriously”; colloquial.
¿Al chile ganaste?qué chiva
Says that something is cool, impressive or excellent.
¡Qué chiva quedó el mural!brete
Work or a job; bretear means to work.
Mañana entro temprano al brete.jalar / jale
To leave; jale can invite someone to go or get moving.
Ya es tarde, mejor jalamos.presa
A traffic jam or heavy congestion.
Hay mucha presa en la autopista.por dicha
Luckily or fortunately.
Por dicha dejó de llover.qué torta
Reaction to a mistake, problem or embarrassing situation.
Perdí las llaves. ¡Qué torta!estar limpio
To be out of money at that moment; informal.
Hoy no salgo: estoy limpio.chinear
To pamper, care for or show affection to someone.
La abuela siempre nos chineaba.chante
Home or the place where someone lives; very informal.
Nos vemos en mi chante.jama
Food; a colloquial word.
Vamos a buscar jama.acharita
Expresses pity, regret or a missed opportunity.
¡Acharita que no pudiste venir!Vos, usted and tú
Familiarity changes the conjugation
Costa Rica widely uses voseo—vos tenés, vos podés—and usted. Usted does not always signal distance: some families and friends use it affectionately. Tú is also heard, particularly through regional and media influence, but it is not the only everyday form.
The safest approach is to follow the form used by the other person. Usted generally works well in formal settings; in casual conversation, there is no need to force voseo or local slang.
Sources and further reading
Use these institutional and lexicographic sources for deeper context. Event dates should be confirmed before travelling.