I feel I’m a lucky guy every day when I wake up. Itâs another day in Paradise. Of course, sometimes I do feel unlucky. But that only happens when my wifeâs car was hit by a taxi. Or when my internet connection doesnât work for 3 days. There are also days that Iâm just lucky.…
I love galletas – cookies, I hope you do too. Because you know, GoDutch Realty is mucha galleta! To be mucha galleta, you have to be not only skilled, capable, and shrewd, but also competent. Fortunately, that is not hearsay. We can prove that many clients agree that we, at GoDutch Realty, are mucha galleta.…
Bajarse los Pantalones is to give in on a dishonorable negotiation. If someone has lowered his pants when he accepts conditions that are clearly unfavorable to him. Now, that weâre in a tremendously difficult market right now. But donât feel bad. Is there a lot of competition in your price range? Or is your property…
When the food is awful, you say guĂĄcala. But when itâs great you say esta riquĂsimo! The word guĂĄcala means horrible, disgusting, distasteful, yuck, dreadful, gross or nasty. Even if youâve never had anything like it, and they serve you a Gallo Pinto, donât say guĂĄcala. Just tell the host or anfitriĂłn, no, pero muchas…
When you are totally over your head in work, you can say âestoy hasta el copete de trabajoâ. Then Ticos will understand you perfectly well. When youâve had enough food, you can say estoy hasta el copete de la comida. Also, being totally fed up with someoneâs behavior, you say estoy hasta el copete de…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes You wonât be able to prevent culture shock by learning how to use chaineado, but it is quite a good start. I have not been able to find proof that chainear comes from the English verb âto shineâ. There are some references that in chainear is also used in Chicano,…
I learned to speak Pachuco before I learned Spanish. I didnât have a clue until I started dating a local woman. She thought I was pretty vulgar and I had no idea what she was talking about. When I moved to Costa Rica in 1980, my brother and I started a window cleaning company. Our…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Any idea who Tica Linda is? Youâll probably say âsomething like a Miss Costa Rica”? Youâre partially right. She is the queen of the âfestejos populares de San Joseâ, but more about that later. This was the start of the use of the word as a designation used by…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Costa Ricans use animals quite a bit in their expressions. The tiger is one of them. Paâl Tigre means not feeling well, feeling sick, or not having done well. Estoy paâl tigre = I feel terrible. Something that is not usable anymore, out of order, esta âpaâl tigreâ. Esta…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes You donât want to be called The Mother of Tarzan in Costa Rica, you know why? In the past, I have been telling you about certain slang words used in Costa Rica, to give you the opportunity to go a little bit native when you move here. Learn the…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The use of slang in Tico Spanish is just as common as it is in any other language. Que chapa is one of those often used words in Tico slang. It would be helpful for you to understand why someone might call you a chapa. Or maybe when someone is…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes The translation of huevo in English is egg, but manda huevo is something totally different. When you move to Costa Rica, you will want to communicate with your local neighbors. Â In their own language of course, not in yours. They speak Spanish. Spanish is a really easy language to learn…
If you really want to go native when living in Costa Rica, you should learn the typical Tico slang or Tiquismo that is used by the locals. In other blogs, I have told you about Chunches, Upe, and some others. Todayâs turn is for “estar parado de uĂąas“. What is parado de uĂąas in Costa…
Just like in many other countries, it is customary for people to have short names in Costa Rica, just like in other languages. You will find it interesting to know why the city of San Jose is called Chepe (look up the name Jose below) and why your gardener is called Juancho or Chuz (pronounced…