A Guide To Tico Spanish

Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, with more than 98% of inhabitants speaking it. 

But before we go on, don’t worry - many people throughout Costa Rica speak at least a little bit of English. You don’t need to panically remember those GCSE (or O-level) Spanish lessons. Relax.

Besides, this isn’t regular Spanish. This is cool Spanish. 

Welcome to Tico Spanish. 

With a Costa Rican partner, I’ve been fully immersed in these slang terms, or Tiquismos.

Now, this article will give you a brief introduction of some basic Spanish phrases to help you, as well as some typical Tico phrases you’ll only ever hear in Costa Rica. 

What Is Tico Spanish?

First, what even is a Tico? Is it a dish? An animal? A place?

Tico is a term used in Costa Rica, by Costa Ricans to describe, well, Costa Ricans. 

And Tico’s have their own way of speaking. 

Granted, it’s pretty similar to regular Spanish. So, if you’re fluent in Spanish and starting to panic, it’s all good. Pura vida. 

Some of the words you’ll hear when travelling through Costa Rica will only be heard in Costa Rica (unless, of course, you meet a Tico whilst travelling elsewhere).

But what’s more, Ticos are prone to using diminutives, which are added to the end of words. For example, “gato” (cat) becomes “gatito” (little cat), and “jugo” (juice) becomes “jugito” (little juice).

Basic Spanish Phrases 

Before we dive head first into Tico Spanish, let’s warm those cerebros up - that's brain, if you're wondering. 

A bit of basic Spanish will do the trick:

Hello	Hola
How are you?	Como estas?
Good morning	Buenas días
Good afternoon/night	Buenos tardes/noches
Goodbye	Adios
Thank you	Gracias
Thank you very much	Muchísimas gracias
Do you speak English?	Hablas Inglés?
Please	Por favor (or porfa)

Easy, right?

Use a few of these phrases in conversations, and you’ll be welcomed in Costa Rica with open arms. ​

​Basic Tico Phrases

​Now, let’s take things one step further and introduce some words you’ll typically hear whilst travelling throughout Costa Rica.

Pura Vida	This is more than just a saying - it’s a way of life. Simply translated to “pure life”, Costa Ricans use this phrase to say hello, goodbye, thank you, and everything in between. Forgot a word in Spanish? Just say "pura vida" and no one will know.
Mae	Pronounced “my”, this is the ultimate Costa Rican slang word. It acts as a versatile, all-purpose social filler or pronoun used among friends to describe someone or get their attention
Tuanis	Pronounced “To-ah-nis”, means cool or good
¡A Cachete!	Another slang phrase that means something is good, great, or beautiful.
Tico/a	A non-offensive, colloquial name for Costa Ricans. ​
Soda	A small, normally family-run, restaurant that serves typical Costa Rican cuisine. ​
Casado	A traditional dish of rice, beans, plantains, salad and protein. The word casado means “married”, which is what this flavour combination is. A must try dish of Costa Rica.
Gallo Pinto	A traditional breakfast dish of rice, beans, egg and sometimes cheese. ​
Media naranja ​	Some Costa Ricans refer to their significant other as their half orange, or “media naranja”.
Muchacho/a	A casual, friendly way to refer to a young person. It's also a polite way of addressing serving staff in restaurants.
Me regala...	This is a Spanish phrase meaning to gift something. In Costa Rica, however, the phrase is used when you want to purchase something - either at a petrol station, a restaurant, behind the counter etc. You can say: “Muchacho, disculpe, me regala un casado” which loosely translates to “excuse me waiter, can I order the casado”.

With just a few of these words and phrases, you’ll be sitting in a family’s living room, drinking chiliguaros, and making pinto with Don Julio himself.

Have you heard any of these Tico words before? Or are there any words we've missed out that you think should be on the list? Let us know in the comments.