Costa Rica – Spanish Language and Culture
Population: 4.6 million (2009)
Capital: San José
Area: 51,100 km² (19,730 sq miles)
Currency: Colon (CRC)
National Holiday: 15th of September
Calling Code: + 506
Time Zone: GMT -6
GDP: Total – US$ 33.183 billion (2010)
Per Capita – US$ 6,964
The Spanish Language in Costa Rica
The Spanish in Costa Rica has similar characteristics to that spoken by its neighbors. The use of “usted” is very common even in informal situations, while ‘voseo’ is used only in certain situations or in specific areas of the country. Like other Caribbean variants, final consonants are often dropped, as is the letter ‘d’ when found between vowels (asado – asa’o, todo – to’o ). Another characteristic is the softer pronunciation of the ‘r’ and ‘rr’ that can sound like an English ‘j’. Costa Rican Spanish also has a similar musical intonation to Colombian Spanish. Learn Spanish in Costa Rica with COINED!
Special words and expressions
- ¡pura vida! – means “pure life,” but more than anything, it’s a way of life and is commonly used as a salutation or exclamation
- mae – can be used to mean “dude” between friends, or simply to refer to any man or woman
- tico/tica – Costa Ricans are often referred to as “ticos”. This nickname is modified according to gender.
- aguevado/bostezo – bored or boring
- ¿como amanecio? – how are you this morning?
- dolor de jupa – a headache
- estar de chicha – to be angry
- estar de goma – to have a hangover
- ¡qué mala nota! – what a bad person!
- ¿que m’iche? – what’s up?
- salirse del cauce – to overflow
- ¡sóquele! – hurry up!, move it!
- jamar – to eat (comer)
- rulear – to sleep (dormir)
Articles about Costa Rica
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Intermediate level
- El Tope Nacional: Cabalgata y mucha juerga
- Surf en Costa Rica ¡Pura vida!
- Franklin Chang-Diaz un tico en órbita.
- Costa Rica, una lección de vida.
- Costa Rica Short Film: un festival inclusivo
Other languages spoken
- 10 languages are spoken in Costa Rica. Indigenous languages include: Bribri (11,000 speakers) Maleku or Guatuso (800 speakers), Cabécar (9,000 speakers), Ngäbere or Guaymí (5,000 speakers), and Bocotá.
- Mekatelyu (Limon Creole English) – English based language spoken on the Caribbean coast by over 55,000 speakers
- Mennonite Low German or Plautdietsch – is spoken by under 100 people in Costa Rica
- English – spoken by close to 10% of the population as a second language due to Costa Rica’s importance as a tourist destination.
- Other immigrant languages include: French, Eastern Yiddish, Portuguese and Cantonese.
Spanish dialects and variations
- ‘Tuteo’ is generally rare and in some areas considered rude (unless it is used in very intimate relationships), but due to influences from neighboring countries it is accepted. Often proverbial ‘voseo’ is mixed with verbal ‘tuteo’. (vos eres / vos quieres)
- The use of ‘usted’ is more formal and in many areas is considered more “correct” (there are areas where using ‘voseo’ in formal situations is not recommended). However some areas in the south and some cities (Cartago) use ‘voseo’ almost exclusively.
Geography and Climate
Costa Rica borders the Caribbean on the east and the Pacific on the west. The terrain is very diverse with mountains, rivers, lakes, plains, beaches, islands and tropical forests where you can find up to 4.5% of the world’s biodiversity. Seasons are split into rainy (May – Nov.) and dry seasons (Dec. – April) where the weather is generally tropical although significantly cooler in the highlands.
Destinations in Costa Rica
- San José and surroundings – Museums, architecture, Central Valley, Volcanoes, coffee plantations
- Towns and Folklore – Guanacaste, Grecia, Alajuela, Sarchi
- Highlands and plains – Arenal Volcano National Park, Monteverde
- Forests and Nature – Monteverde (wildlife observation, hiking, adventure sports eco and sustainable tourism), Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Corcovado National Par
- Pacific coast- Gulf of Papagayo, Nicoya Peninsula, Nosara, Punta Islita, Manuel Antonio National Park, Osa Peninsula, Playa Flamingo, Playa Jacó, Drake Bay (scuba-diving, fishing, beaches, surfing)
- Caribbean – Tortuguero, Barra del Colorado, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo (scuba-diving, fishing, beaches…)
History & Politics
Resistance from local cultures, as well as disease, made it difficult for the Spanish to successfully colonize Costa Rica. In 1808, coffee was introduced to Costa Rica and it subsequently became a major national crop. Along with other Central American countries, Costa Rica declared its independence from Spain in 1821. In the late 19th century, the president encouraged foreign investment which brought about major industrial development. Railways were built and a US company, the United Fruit Company, took over most of the country’s banana production. The strong US influence and interests in Costa Rica greatly affected the political environment of the country in the beginning of the 20th century. The current president, Laura Chinchilla, is Costa Rica’s first female president.
¿Sabias qué….? There are no actual street names in Costa Rica. An address might look like this: “From the cemetery, 100 meters south, 300 meters east.” Some locations cited might not even exist any longer, making navigation a bit complicated.
Famous People
- Juan Santamaría (National Hero. There is a national holiday commemorating his death on April 11th and the country’s main international airport is named after him)
- Óscar Arias Sánchez (winner of Nobel Peace Prize)
- Joaquín Gutiérrez (writer, poet)
- Francisco Amighetti (artist)
- Franklin Chang Díaz (astronaut)
- Claudia Poll (swimmer, Olympic Gold-medalist)
- Paulo Wanchope (football/soccer player)
- Chavela Vargas (singer)
- Maribel Guardia (actress)
- Jorge Debravo (poet)
Media
With one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America (97%) and wide access to internet and cable, Costa Rica has an important media scene. Freedom of the press is guaranteed although there have been cases of intimidation and harassment of political subjects. In 2001 a journalist, Parmiento Medina, was murdered. He dedicated himself to investigating and denouncing corruption within the country’s most influential figures.
La Nacion – www.nacion.com
La Prensa Libre – www2.prensalibre.cr