Costa Rica Slang: 60+ Words, Meanings & Examples

Costa Rica slang gives everyday Spanish a distinctive local flavor, from the famous phrase pura vida to casual expressions like mae, tuanis, and diay. Whether you’re planning a trip, learning Spanish, or chatting with Costa Rican friends, understanding these words can help you follow conversations and connect with local culture.

Costa Ricans are often called Ticos and Ticas, and their Spanish includes many regional expressions known as tiquismos. Some are friendly greetings, others describe everyday situations, and a few can sound rude if used in the wrong context. Here are more than 60 Costa Rica slang words and phrases, with meanings and examples to help you understand how they’re used.

What Is Costa Rica Slang?

Costa Rica slang refers to informal words, expressions, and regional vocabulary used in Costa Rican Spanish. These expressions help people communicate naturally in daily life, whether they’re greeting friends, talking about work, describing something exciting, or making plans.

Costa Rican Spanish shares much of its vocabulary with other Spanish-speaking countries, but terms such as mae, tuanis, brete, and chunche give local conversations a recognizable character. The phrase pura vida is especially well known and can express a greeting, gratitude, or the idea that everything is going well.

Not every expression is appropriate everywhere. Some words are very casual, and their meaning can change with tone, age, location, and relationship.

60+ Costa Rica Slang Words and Their Meanings

The following Costa Rica slang words are useful for understanding informal conversations. Meanings can vary by context, so treat the examples as practical illustrations rather than rules that apply to every speaker.

1. Common Costa Rica Slang Words

Slang word	Meaning	Example
Pura vida	Great, all good, hello, goodbye, or thanks	“¡Pura vida, mae!”
Mae	Dude, bro, man, or person	“Mae, ¿vamos?”
Tuanis	Cool, nice, or great	“Tu carro está tuanis.”
Diay	Well, so, then, or what’s up?	“Diay, ¿qué pasó?”
Brete	Work or job	“Voy al brete.”
Chunche	Thing or object when you don’t know its name	“Pasame ese chunche.”
Vara	Thing, matter, situation, or sometimes nonsense	“¿Qué es la vara?”
Choza	House or home	“Estoy en la choza.”
Jupa	Head	“Me duele la jupa.”
Güila	Child, young person, or sometimes girlfriend or boyfriend, depending on context	“Ese güila juega bien.”
Tico	Costa Rican man or person; also used more broadly for a Costa Rican	“Él es tico.”
Tica	Costa Rican woman or girl	“Ella es tica.”
Chiva	Cool, awesome, or great	“¡Qué chiva!”
Salado	Unlucky, unfortunate, or tough luck	“¡Qué salado!”
Goma	Hangover	“Tengo goma.”
Chineado/a	Pampered, spoiled, or treated affectionately	“Está muy chineada.”
Bombeta	Someone who is showy, attention-seeking, or overly enthusiastic	“Ese mae es un bombeta.”
Jetón/jetona	Big talker or someone who exaggerates	“No sea jetón.”
A cachete	Excellent, very good, or going smoothly	“Todo está a cachete.”
Al chile	Seriously, really, or for real	“¿Al chile?”

2. Costa Rica Slang for Everyday Conversations

Expression	Meaning	Example
¡Buenas!	A casual, all-purpose greeting	“¡Buenas! ¿Cómo está?”
¿Todo bien?	Everything okay?	“Mae, ¿todo bien?”
¿Qué hubo?	What’s up?	“¿Qué hubo, mae?”
¿Qué madre?	A vulgar or emphatic expression whose meaning depends on context	“¡Qué madre!”
De fijo	Definitely, for sure	“De fijo voy mañana.”
Por dicha	Fortunately, luckily	“Por dicha no llovió.”
Qué madre	What a shame, how annoying, or how unfortunate	“Qué madre que no pudo venir.”
Ahí vamos	We’re getting by or moving along	“¿Cómo está? Ahí vamos.”
Todo tuanis	Everything is good or cool	“Por acá, todo tuanis.”
Con mucho gusto	You’re welcome; literally, with great pleasure	“Gracias.” “Con mucho gusto.”
Pura paja	Nonsense, empty talk, or a load of rubbish	“Eso es pura paja.”
Ni modo	Oh well, there’s nothing to be done	“Ni modo, será mañana.”
¡Qué madre de presa!	What terrible traffic!	“Llegué tarde por la presa.”
Hacer feo	To reject, snub, or treat someone or something dismissively	“No le haga feo a la comida.”
Dar pelota	To pay attention to or give someone attention	“Ella no me da pelota.”

3. Costa Rica Slang for Friends and Relationships

Word or phrase	Meaning	Example
Mae	Dude, friend, or person	“Ese mae es mi compa.”
Compa	Buddy, pal, or friend	“Pura vida, compa.”
Amigo/a	Friend; standard Spanish, widely understood	“Es mi amiga.”
Güila	A young person or, in some contexts, a romantic partner	“Voy con mi güila.”
Jalar	To leave; in some contexts, to date or go out with someone	“Ya me voy a jalar.”
Caerle a alguien	To approach someone romantically or make a move	“Le quiere caer a ella.”
Dar pelota	To show interest or attention	“No me da pelota.”
Chinear	To pamper, cuddle, or treat affectionately	“Me gusta chinear a mi perro.”
Tuanis	Cool or good; useful among friends	“La gente es muy tuanis.”
Pura vida	A friendly expression of goodwill	“¡Pura vida, nos vemos!”

4. Costa Rica Slang for Work, Money, and Daily Life

Word	Meaning	Example
Brete	Job or work	“Tengo mucho brete.”
Bretear	To work	“Tengo que bretear hoy.”
Harina	Money, in colloquial usage	“No tengo harina.”
Rojo	A thousand-colón bill or amount in local money slang	“Me costó un rojo.”
Tucán	A five-thousand-colón bill in local money slang	“Solo ando un tucán.”
Chepe	Familiar nickname for San José	“Mañana voy a Chepe.”
Presa	Traffic jam	“Hay mucha presa.”
Pulpería	Small neighborhood shop	“Voy a la pulpería.”
Soda	A small, casual restaurant, often serving local food	“Almorcemos en una soda.”
Chante	House or place, in very informal speech	“Caigamos a mi chante.”
Chunche	An unnamed or unspecified object	“¿Dónde dejé ese chunche?”
Jupa	Head	“Usá la jupa.”
Jama	Food, in informal speech	“Vamos a buscar jama.”
Birra	Beer, informal Spanish also heard in Costa Rica	“Pidió una birra.”
Gallo	A small serving of food, often served in a tortilla; meaning depends on context	“Me comí un gallo de salchichón.”

5. Costa Rica Slang for Emotions and Reactions

Expression	Meaning	Example
¡Qué chiva!	How cool!	“¡Qué chiva ese concierto!”
¡Qué tuanis!	That’s great!	“¡Qué tuanis tu idea!”
¡Qué madre!	How annoying or unfortunate!	“¡Qué madre, perdí el bus!”
¡Qué salado!	How unlucky!	“¡Qué salado que llovió!”
Al chile	Seriously or for real	“¿Al chile pasó eso?”
De fijo	Definitely	“De fijo llego temprano.”
Por dicha	Thankfully or fortunately	“Por dicha, todo salió bien.”
Pura vida	Everything is fine, or a positive response	“¿Cómo estás?” “¡Pura vida!”
Diay	Well, so, or an expression of surprise	“Diay, no sabía.”
Qué madre de presa	What terrible traffic	“Qué madre de presa hay hoy.”

6. More Costa Rican Expressions to Recognize

Expression	Meaning
A cachete	Excellent or going very well
Dar pelota	Give attention or show interest
Hacer feo	Snub or reject
Jalar	Leave; sometimes date, depending on context
Caerle a alguien	Approach someone romantically
Echarse una birra	Have a beer
Estar de goma	Have a hangover
Ir a Chepe	Go to San José
Estar hasta la madre	Be fed up or extremely overwhelmed; vulgar in some contexts
Pura paja	Nonsense or empty talk
Ni modo	Oh well; accept the situation
De una	Sure, right away, or let’s do it
Ahí vemos	We’ll see; the meaning depends on tone and context
Qué madre de día	What a terrible day
Todo bien	Everything is fine

Costa Rica Slang Phrases You Should Know

Individual words are useful, but short phrases show how Costa Rican slang works in conversation.

“Pura vida, mae”

Meaning: “All good, dude,” “Hey, bro,” or “Thanks, man,” depending on the situation.

Example:

“¿Cómo estás?”

“¡Pura vida, mae!”

This is one of the most recognizable combinations in Costa Rican Spanish. Pura vida has several everyday uses, while mae makes the exchange more informal.

“Diay, ¿qué pasó?”

Meaning: “Well, what happened?” or “So, what’s going on?”

Example:

“Diay, ¿qué pasó? Te esperamos ayer.”

This phrase is useful for opening a conversation or reacting when something unexpected happens. The precise meaning of diay depends heavily on tone and context.

“¡Qué tuanis!”

Meaning: “That’s cool!” or “How awesome!”

Example:

“Conseguí entradas para el concierto.”

“¡Qué tuanis!”

Use it to react positively to an idea, event, object, or experience.

“Tengo mucho brete”

Meaning: “I have a lot of work.”

Example:

“No puedo salir hoy; tengo mucho brete.”

Brete and bretear are informal terms for a job and working. They are useful to recognize in casual conversation.

“Por dicha, todo salió bien”

Meaning: “Thankfully, everything went well.”

Example:

“¿Cómo te fue en el examen?”

“Por dicha, todo salió bien.”

This expression communicates relief or gratitude that something had a positive outcome.

“No me da pelota”

Meaning: “They don’t pay attention to me” or “They’re not showing interest in me.”

Example:

“Me gusta esa muchacha, pero no me da pelota.”

The expression can refer to ordinary attention or romantic interest, depending on context.

What Does “Pura Vida” Mean in Costa Rica?

Pura vida literally translates to “pure life,” but its everyday meaning is broader. Costa Ricans use it as a greeting, a farewell, a way to say thank you, and a response meaning that everything is good. It is also associated with a positive, relaxed outlook on life.

Here are a few common uses:

• Greeting: “¡Pura vida! ¿Cómo está?” “Hey! How are you?”
• Positive response: “¿Todo bien?” “¡Pura vida!” “Everything’s great!”
• Thanks or acknowledgment: “Gracias por ayudarme.” “¡Pura vida!” “Thanks!” or “No problem!”
• Farewell: “Nos vemos mañana.” “¡Pura vida!” “See you tomorrow!”

The phrase is a genuine part of everyday Costa Rican speech, not simply a tourist slogan. You can use it naturally, but you don’t need to insert it into every conversation. https://diccionariousual.poder-judicial.go.cr/index.php/diccionario/pura-vida

Why Are Costa Ricans Called Ticos and Ticas?

Costa Ricans are commonly called Ticos (masculine or mixed groups) and Ticas (feminine). These are familiar, widely accepted terms that Costa Ricans use to describe themselves.

The nickname is associated with a diminutive pattern in Costa Rican Spanish: speakers may use endings such as -ico or -ica where other Spanish varieties commonly use -ito or -ita. For example, momentico can mean “just a little moment.”

You’ll hear Tico and Tica in conversations about Costa Rican culture, food, travel, and everyday life. https://www.costarica.com/culture/faqs

Is Costa Rica Slang Different From Mexican or Other Latin American Slang?

Yes. Although Spanish speakers across Latin America share a large amount of vocabulary, informal expressions differ by country and region.

Costa Rica	Rough equivalent elsewhere	Meaning
Mae	Mexican güey	Dude or guy
Tuanis	Mexican chido	Cool or great
Brete	Mexican chamba	Work or job
Pura vida	No single exact equivalent	All good, thanks, hello, or goodbye
Diay	Context-dependent pues or entonces	Well, so, then, or what’s going on?

These are approximate comparisons, not perfect translations. The words may carry different connotations or levels of informality depending on the country.

How to Use Costa Rican Slang Naturally

Learning local vocabulary is a good start, but the way you use it matters too.

1. Start with common expressions. Learn pura vida, buenas, todo bien, and por dicha before trying more colorful slang.
2. Listen to the context. A word such as mae can be friendly among close friends but may sound too casual in a formal meeting.
3. Notice how people address each other. Costa Ricans often use usted even in familiar situations, so you don’t need to assume that tú is always the most natural option.
4. Be careful with vulgar expressions. Some phrases that sound playful in one group can offend someone else.
5. Don’t force every slang word into a sentence. Understanding the expression is more important than trying to sound like a local immediately.
6. Learn complete phrases. Remembering “¿Todo bien, mae?” is often more useful than memorizing mae without context.

Conclusion

Costa Rica slang offers a useful window into the country’s everyday language and culture. Expressions such as pura vida, mae, tuanis, diay, and brete can help you understand conversations that might otherwise feel unfamiliar.

Whether you’re visiting Costa Rica, studying Spanish, or talking with Ticos online, begin with a few common phrases and pay attention to how native speakers use them. Remember that regional vocabulary changes with context, age, and relationships. With a little listening and practice, you’ll be better prepared to recognize Costa Rican expressions and use them respectfully.

FAQs

1. What is the most common slang in Costa Rica?

Pura vida is one of Costa Rica’s best-known expressions. Mae, tuanis, and diay are also common in informal conversation.

2. What does “mae” mean in Costa Rica?

Mae is an informal word similar to “dude,” “bro,” “man,” or “guy.” It is especially common in casual conversation among friends.

3. What does “tuanis” mean?

Tuanis means “cool,” “nice,” or “great.” For example, ¡Qué tuanis! means “That’s awesome!”

4. What does “diay” mean in Costa Rican Spanish?

Diay is a flexible conversational expression that can mean “well,” “so,” or “then,” or convey surprise or uncertainty. Its meaning depends on context and tone.

5. What does “brete” mean?

Brete means “work” or “job.” Bretear is the informal verb meaning “to work.”

6. What does “Tico” mean?

Tico refers to a Costa Rican man or person, while Tica refers to a Costa Rican woman or girl. Costa Ricans commonly use these terms for themselves.

7. Is “pura vida” only used by tourists?

No. Pura vida is a familiar expression used by Costa Ricans in everyday life, including as a greeting, farewell, expression of gratitude, or positive response.

8. What is Costa Rican slang for friend?

Mae and compa are informal ways to address a friend or buddy. Mae can also refer more generally to a person.

9. What does “goma” mean in Costa Rica?

In Costa Rican slang, goma commonly refers to a hangover or the unpleasant effects of drinking alcohol.

10. Is Costa Rican slang appropriate in formal situations?

Some expressions are perfectly friendly but very informal. In professional or unfamiliar settings, use standard Spanish and polite greetings until you know which expressions are appropriate.

11. What is a “soda” in Costa Rica?

A soda is a small, casual restaurant, often serving traditional Costa Rican meals. It doesn’t mean a soft drink in this context.

12. How can I learn Costa Rican slang quickly?

Start with a few common expressions, listen to Costa Rican speakers, watch local videos, and learn phrases in context. Practice recognizing slang before using more informal or vulgar expressions.