Glossary of Costa Rican Terms

Part of the Costa Rica For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Every location has its own lingo. Here’s a list of terms and slang that will win you fast friends and great respect in Costa Rica.

birra (bee-rah): Slang for beer.
boca (boh-cah): Literally means “mouth,” but also a term to describe a small appetizer served alongside a drink at many bars.
bomba (bohm-bah): Translates literally as “pump,” but is used in Costa Rica for “gas station.”
brete (breh-teh): Work, or job.
casado (cah-sah-doh): Literally means “married,” but is the local term for a popular restaurant offering, featuring a main dish and various side dishes.
Chepe (cheh-peh): Slang term for the capital city, San José.
chunche (choon-cheh): Knicknack; thing, as in “whatchamacallit.”
con mucho gusto (con moo-choh goo-stoh): With pleasure.
Diay (dee-eye): An untranslatable but common linguistic punctuation, often used to begin a sentence.
La Sele (lah she-leh): Short for La Selección, the Costa Rican national soccer team.
macha or machita (mah-chah; mah-chee-tah): A blond woman.
mae (mah-eh): Not gender specific, this translates like “man” or “dude”: used by many Costa Ricans, particularly teenagers, as frequent verbal punctuation.
mejenga (meh-hen-gah): An informal, or pickup, soccer game.
pachanga or pelón (pah-chahn-gah; peh-lon): Both terms used to signify a big party or gathering.
Ponga la mária, por favor (pon-gah la mah-ree-ah, por fah-vor): Please put on the meter (you should direct taxi drivers to do this when first entering a cab).
pulpería (pool-peh-ree-ah): The Costa Rican version of the “corner store” or small market.
pura vida (poo-rah vee-dah): Literally, “pure life”; translates as “everything’s great.”
soda (soh-dah): A casual diner-style restaurant serving cheap Tico meals.
Tico (tee-koh): Costa Rican.
Tiquicia (tee-kee-syah): Costa Rica.
tuanis (twah-nees): Means the same as pura vida (see earlier) but is used by a younger crowd.
una teja (teh-ha): 100 colones.
un tucán (too-cahn): 5,000 colones.
Upe! (oo-peh): Common shout to find out if anyone is home; used frequently because doorbells are so scarce.
zarpe (zar-peh): Last drink of the night, or “one more for the road.”