Spanish Basics for Costa Rica: The Phrases That Actually Get Used

The Tico Spanish you'll actually hear and use: pura vida, mae, tuanis, ordering at a soda, asking directions, and the polite phrases that smooth every interaction.

You can absolutely travel through Costa Rica with no Spanish. Tourist-corridor staff speak enough English to get you a table, a hotel room, and a tour. You won’t get stranded.

But Costa Rican Spanish — what locals call “Tico Spanish” — has a personality, and learning even fifteen of its actual everyday phrases changes the experience. People warm up. Doors open. The taxi driver tells you about his cousin’s beach house. The soda owner gives you the off-menu fish. The Spanish-speaker tax pays itself back in the first day.

The classroom Spanish you may have learned will get you most of the way there. What follows is the Costa Rica-specific overlay — the phrases that aren’t in your textbook, and the ones that are but get used differently here.

Pura Vida (and Why It’s Everywhere)

The phrase you’ll hear and say more than any other.

Literally: “pure life.” Functionally: a multi-tool that means hello, goodbye, thanks, you’re welcome, I’m fine, no problem, awesome, and life is good — depending on tone and context.

Examples of how it actually gets used:

“¿Cómo estás?” — “Pura vida.” (How are you? — I’m good.)
“¡Gracias!” — “Pura vida.” (Thanks! — You’re welcome.)
“Adiós.” — “Pura vida.” (Bye. — Bye / take care.)
(greeting a friend) “¡Pura vida!” (What’s up!)

Saying it back when someone says it to you is appropriate 100% of the time. There is no scenario in which “pura vida” is the wrong reply. It is the most useful word in the country.

The Tico Filler Words

Three words that don’t translate but season every conversation:

Mae — pronounced “my.” The Costa Rican equivalent of “dude,” “bro,” “man.” Used between friends, between strangers, between basically anyone of similar status. “¿Qué pasa, mae?” — what’s up, man? You’ll hear it constantly. As a tourist you can use it lightly with younger Ticos in casual settings; with older folks or in formal settings, skip it.

Tuanis — pronounced “too-AH-nees.” Means “cool,” “great,” “awesome.” It’s pretty informal, very Tico — you won’t hear this in Mexican or Spanish Spanish. “La playa estuvo tuanis” — the beach was awesome.

Que chiva — “How cool!” Same vibe as tuanis. “¡Que chiva el tour!” — That tour was so cool.

These are the three Tico-isms that mark someone who’s spent real time in the country. Sprinkle them in and the warmth back from locals goes up several degrees.

The Polite Phrases That Smooth Everything

Costa Ricans value politeness and indirectness. A single “con permiso” before squeezing past someone in a market opens space and a smile.

Buenos días / buenas tardes / buenas noches — Good morning / afternoon / evening. Use them as a greeting when entering any business. Walking into a soda or shop without saying “buenas” is a small social rudeness. Locals say it constantly.

Por favor — Please.

Gracias / muchas gracias — Thanks / thank you very much.

De nada — You’re welcome (literally “of nothing”). Mucho gusto is also used for “you’re welcome” in Costa Rica more than in other Spanish-speaking countries.

Con permiso — Excuse me (when passing someone). Different from perdón.

Disculpe — Excuse me / sorry (to get attention or apologize). The “polite excuse-me” for asking a question.

Perdón — I’m sorry / pardon me (after bumping someone, missing what they said).

Mucho gusto — Pleased to meet you. Used a lot in introductions, even casual ones.

Hasta luego — See you later. Often shortened in casual speech.

You’ll notice that lots of interactions begin with “Buenos días, ¿cómo está?” and a brief exchange of well-being, before the actual transaction. Don’t skip this. Walking up to a counter and saying “I want a coffee” the way you might in New York reads as cold and slightly rude. “Buenos días, por favor un café” with a smile gets you a much warmer ride.

Ordering at a Soda

A soda is a small, family-run Costa Rican restaurant — the equivalent of a diner. The menu is simple, prices are low, and the experience is local.

How an order goes:

“Buenas, ¿está abierto?” — Hi, are you open? (When unsure if it’s a sit-down or take-out moment.)
“Una mesa para dos, por favor” — A table for two, please.
“¿Qué recomienda?” — What do you recommend? (A useful conversation-starter; sodas often have a specialty.)
“Voy a pedir un casado de pollo” — I’ll have the casado with chicken. Casado is the standard plate: rice, beans, salad, plantain, and a protein.
“Para tomar, un fresco de cas / mora / piña” — To drink, a fresh juice of cas (a tart Costa Rican fruit) / blackberry / pineapple.
“La cuenta, por favor” — The check, please.

Common menu items you’ll see:

Casado — the rice-beans-salad-plantain-protein plate. The default.
Gallo pinto — rice and beans mixed and seasoned. The breakfast staple.
Olla de carne — beef-and-vegetable soup, traditional Sunday lunch.
Chifrijo — beans, rice, fried pork, pico de gallo, served with chips. Bar food / lunch.
Patacones — fried green plantain rounds.
Fresco natural — fresh fruit juice (with water; with milk = fresco con leche).
Imperial / Pilsen — the two big Costa Rican beers.

To pay: “¿Aceptan tarjeta?” — Do you accept cards? (At small sodas the answer is sometimes no — bring colones. See Money in Costa Rica for ATM picks and the card-vs-cash rules.)

Costa Rican addresses are famously not addresses. Locations are described by landmarks: “200 meters north of the church, on the left.” This is a real, common, official addressing scheme.

Useful direction phrases:

“¿Dónde está…?” — Where is…?
“¿Cómo llego a…?” — How do I get to…?
“Está cerca / está lejos” — It’s near / it’s far.
“Siga derecho” — Go straight.
“A la derecha / a la izquierda” — To the right / to the left.
“En la próxima esquina” — At the next corner.
“Frente a / al lado de / detrás de” — In front of / next to / behind.
“Cien metros / doscientos metros” — 100 meters / 200 meters. (These are used as both real distances and as approximations for “a block.”)

Two phrases that surprise people:

A hundred meters means “a block.” Costa Ricans give walking directions in 100-meter increments, but the meters often correspond to city blocks, not literal distances.
“Cuadras” is also used for blocks, though less than “metros.”

Numbers and Money Talk

Numbers in Spanish are mostly straightforward, but when prices come at you fast in colones, they can blur. The key thresholds:

Mil — thousand (5,000 = cinco mil; 12,500 = doce mil quinientos)
Millón — million (rarely needed for daily prices; relevant for real estate)

When a soda owner says “tres mil quinientos” (3,500 colones, ~$7), it’s the price for a casado.

“¿Cuánto cuesta?” — How much does it cost?
“¿Cuánto es?” — How much is it?
“En colones / en dólares” — In colones / in dollars.
“¿Aceptan tarjeta?” — Do you accept cards?
“¿Tiene cambio para…?” — Do you have change for…?
“Está bien” — It’s fine / OK.

Survival Spanish for the Unexpected

A few phrases for the moments when things go off-script:

“No entiendo” — I don’t understand.
“¿Puede repetir, por favor?” — Can you repeat, please?
“¿Habla inglés?” — Do you speak English?
“Hablo poquito español” — I speak a little Spanish. (Often gets the other person to slow down and meet you halfway.)
“Estoy perdido / perdida” — I’m lost.
“Ayuda” — Help.
“Tengo una emergencia” — I have an emergency.
“Necesito un médico / un hospital” — I need a doctor / a hospital.
“Llame a la policía” — Call the police.
“Me robaron” — I was robbed.
“Tengo pasaporte americano / canadiense / etc.” — I have an American / Canadian / etc. passport.
“¿Dónde está el baño?” — Where is the bathroom?

The country emergency number is 911, same digits, English-speaking operators usually available.

Costa Rican Pronunciation Quirks

A few things that throw off Spanish learners coming from Spain or Mexico:

The Costa Rican “r” is sometimes softer than the rolled Spanish “rr.” Some Ticos pronounce it almost like an English “r.” Don’t worry about your own pronunciation — just don’t expect to hear the textbook rolled R every time.
“Vos” is used instead of “tú” in casual speech (“vos sabés” for “you know”), like in Argentina. You don’t need to learn this; “tú” is universally understood.
The “s” sound is fully pronounced (unlike some Caribbean Spanish where it’s dropped). Costa Rican Spanish is on the clearer end of the Latin American spectrum and easier to follow if you’re learning.
“Usted” is used widely — even with friends and family, more than in other Spanish-speaking countries. As a tourist, default to usted with anyone except kids and very casual settings; you’ll never go wrong.

Idiomatic Phrases You’ll Hear

A short list that’ll come up:

“Estamos a la orden” — We’re at your service. Said by waiters, shop staff, drivers — a polite acknowledgment that they’re there to help. Just smile and say gracias.
“Con mucho gusto” — With much pleasure / you’re welcome / sure. Used as “you’re welcome” more than de nada in formal contexts.
“Que le vaya bien” — May things go well for you. Said when someone leaves. Reply: “Igualmente” (likewise).
“Buen provecho” — Enjoy your meal. Said by anyone walking past your table or by the server. Reply: “Gracias, igualmente” (or just gracias).
“Tranquilo / tranquila” — Relax / no worries / it’s chill. The vibe of the country in one word.

What You Don’t Need to Learn

The subjunctive — yes, technically wrong, but no one will mark you down for using indicative when subjunctive is “correct.”
Slang from other Spanish-speaking countries — Spanish from Mexico, Spain, Argentina is all understandable but feels a bit foreign here. Stick to Tico phrases or stay neutral.
Cursing — every culture has its own creative profanity, and Tico curses are particular. Skip.

The fifteen most-useful words on the list above will get you through 90% of tourist interactions, smiling. The rest is conversation, gestures, patience, and the warmth Ticos extend to anyone making an effort.

Pura vida y buen viaje.