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Costa Rican Slang: 160+ Tico Words and Phrases

Costa Ricans call their slang pachuco. Some of it you will hear within minutes of landing (pura vida, mae, diay); some of it will make a Tico laugh, in a good way, when it comes out of your mouth.

Here are 109 slang words and 53 everyday expressions, with what they mean and how people use them. A few are rude: they are marked, so you know them when you hear them.

Hear it: tap any underlined word or speaker to hear it in a Costa Rican voice. Press and hold to say it yourself and get a score.

Start with these eight

If you only learn a handful of Tico words before your trip, make it these.

Hi / bye / thanks / all good / you're welcome — the national phrase for everything positive.
Dude / bro / man. Peppered through casual speech, like 'like' or 'man'. ¿Qué mae?
Cool, nice, great. Often paired: todo tuanis.
A flexible filler meaning well, so, then, or what can you do?
Work / job. Voy pal brete = I'm off to work.
Thingamajig — any object whose name escapes you. Pasame ese chunche.
Thing, matter, or situation: esa vara = that thing / issue.
Definitely / for sure.

Costa Rican slang from A to Z

Very well / in great shape. Todo está a cachete.
Everything is great, dude; highly casual.
Local convenience grocery; common neighborhood stop.
Looking sharp, well-dressed, or in good shape.
Right now, soon, or in a little while; context matters more than the literal clock time.
I'll be back soon; ahorita is intentionally flexible.
Bummed out, discouraged, or bored depending on context.
To be confused, lost, or guessing.
To go down to San José or the Central Valley from the mountains; subir is the reverse.
An embarrassing person or cringe-worthy situation.
To guess, bluff, or make something up.
Beer; casual borrowing used widely in everyday speech.
Gossip, commotion, or a noisy fuss. No hagás bochinche.
Someone who spreads gossip or creates a fuss.
Gas station; bomba de gasolina is a fuel station.
Work / job. Voy pal brete = I'm off to work.
A shot of liquor, especially guaro.
A shameless, cheeky, or inconsiderate person; mildly vulgar.
Strong vulgar insult; hear it often, but do not use casually.
Cartago / San José; Chepe is the affectionate nickname for the capital.
House / home / place. Vamos pa'l chante.
Fried pork belly or pork rinds, often eaten at a soda or bar.
Popular bar dish with rice, beans, pork cracklings, pico de gallo, and avocado.
Cool, fun, or impressive; also a bus in some contexts.
House / home (casual), same idea as chante.
Thingamajig — any object whose name escapes you. Pasame ese chunche.
To pay attention to, indulge, or give someone a chance.
As an extra / additionally; also leftover change in some contexts.
Definitely / for sure.
Sure / absolutely / let's do it.
A flexible filler meaning well, so, then, or what can you do?
So what is the plan? / Well then?
Well, no / not really; often softens disagreement.
Well, yes / exactly; a very Tico conversational pivot.
Respectful title for an adult woman or man, often before a first name.
All over it / ready and participating; ¡estoy en todas!
It's going extremely well or someone is doing exceptionally well.
A party or night of drinking and hanging out.
To party or go out drinking.
Fresh fruit drink; not necessarily a carbonated soft drink.
Soccer, shortened from fútbol.
Hangover. Ando de goma = I'm hungover.
Sugarcane liquor; the classic Costa Rican spirit.
Kid, youngster, or girlfriend depending on context; use with care.
To make space or accommodate someone.
To help someone out, especially with money or a small favor.
To play dumb or pretend not to notice.
To play the victim; often said critically.
Money (literally 'flour'). No ando harina.
To go for a drive or outing; ride is pronounced as an English loan.
To leave or take away in Tico speech: jalemos = let’s go.
To leave, or to pull off/do something: se jaló una torta.
To make a big mistake or cause a problem.
Drunk / a drunken state. Agarró una juma.
Alajuela, especially in football talk; context can also mean the league.
The municipal government or city hall.
Money, said softly or affectionately.
Costa Rica's national soccer team.
University, usually understood from context.
Dude / bro / man. Peppered through casual speech, like 'like' or 'man'. ¿Qué mae?
Dude, what luck! Guaba means luck or a lucky break.
Very strong insult; offensive and not appropriate for polite conversation.
An informal pickup soccer game.
To chip in money or contribute to a shared cost.
There is no way around it / it cannot be avoided.
Don't pay me attention / don't encourage me; context decides the tone.
Don't get discouraged or upset; informal and masculine-coded.
I need; everyday Tico alternative to necesito.
Costa Rican slang/register itself; colorful informal vocabulary.
A person who speaks in local slang; pachuca can also describe the slang register.
Bus stop; buses are often referenced by route or destination.
An outing or trip; irse de paseo is to go on a day trip.
To go out and party hard.
Watch out / keep your eyes open.
To leave quickly; also to tease or provoke, depending on context.
Short name for gallo pinto, especially at breakfast.
Pay attention / be sharp / watch out.
Traffic jam. Hay mucha presa = traffic is terrible.
Short form of pulpería, a neighborhood corner shop.
Small neighborhood shop for basics, snacks, and drinks.
Nonsense / BS. Eso es pura paja.
Friendly all-purpose greeting or sign-off between casual acquaintances.
Hi / bye / thanks / all good / you're welcome — the national phrase for everything positive.
What a relief / how wonderful / luckily.
How sad / poor thing; an empathetic reaction, not necessarily religious.
That's impressive, intense, or unbelievable.
What a mess / what a blunder; also an unexpected problem.
Seriously / really; also excellent depending on context.
To brag, show off, or talk oneself up.
A braggart; someone who shows off.
Fruit drink or soft drink depending on context.
A lift or ride in a car: ¿Me da un rite?
A 1,000-colón bill (rojo) / 100 colones or 100 of something (teja).
To be embarrassing, shameless, or socially awkward.
A small local restaurant, not a soft drink.
Travel toward the highlands / down toward the Central Valley or coast.
A drinking session or someone who drinks heavily.
Dad / parents; also used warmly for an older man or father figure.
To have room or availability; ¿Tiene campo? can mean do you have a table/appointment slot?
Big-mouthed, blunt, or cheeky; can be teasing or critical.
Cool, nice, great. Often paired: todo tuanis.
Genuinely cool / really nice; an emphatic compliment.
Pretty cool / nice; softer and more playful than tuanis.
Community festival or fair, often with food, rides, and dancing.
A little bit / briefly. Espere un toque = wait a sec.
Thing, matter, or situation: esa vara = that thing / issue.
Stuff, nonsense, or excuses: no me venga con varas.
Coffee; literally iodine, used playfully for the daily cup.
Mixed-breed dog; zaguate is especially common in Costa Rica.

Everyday Tico expressions

Whole phrases you can drop into a conversation: reactions, goodbyes, and ways to say “wait a sec” or “go for it”.

  • How annoying! / What a drag!
  • How cool! / Awesome!
  • A good person / nice one.
  • A bad or unpleasant person.
  • So? / Well? / What can you do? — all-purpose filler from 'de ahí'.
  • So, what happened? / What is it? A casual greeting or prompt.
  • Well, you should see / let me tell you — an invitation to a story.
  • For real / seriously?
  • Go ahead / okay / sounds good; polite and extremely common.
  • Go for it / start it / give it a try.
  • All good; greeting, reassurance, or a way to end a small disagreement.
  • No worries / it's okay; repeated for extra reassurance.
  • Thanks, you're welcome, hello, goodbye, or everything is fine.
  • Warm morning greeting: How are you this morning?
  • Take care / all the best (said on parting).
  • You're welcome — Ticos say this, not 'de nada'.
  • At your service / happy to help, especially in shops and service work.
  • Whenever you like; a polite service or invitation phrase.
  • What a pain / what a hassle; mild frustration.
  • To be furious / really angry.
  • To be in a bad mood or having a run of bad luck.
  • Calm down / tone it down.
  • Don't go crazy / don't overreact.
  • Don't pretend / come on, you know better.
  • Don't give me excuses / don't mess around with me.
  • No way / not at all / I don't think so.
  • As if I were / as though it were; dismisses an exaggeration.
  • I'm confused / lost / I have no idea.
  • What a beating / exhausting ordeal; vulgar-ish and contextual.
  • It's hard / rough / difficult; can describe a situation or price.
  • That's far-fetched / difficult / out there, depending on context.
  • I'm having a terrible day; strong frustration.
  • Fortunately / luckily.
  • Actually / rather / instead; often softens a correction.
  • As it is / anyway / naturally.
  • Excellent / going all out / having a great time.
  • By force / without care or proper procedure.
  • Freely / open choice / without a fixed plan.
  • Just in case / for that possibility.
  • For now / in the meantime.
  • One week from today; literally 'today in eight days'.
  • Talk to you later; casual goodbye.
  • See you around; playful slangy goodbye.
  • Let me know; common in work, service, and plans.
  • Tell me how it goes / keep me posted.
  • We'll keep in touch / we'll discuss it.
  • Do it / go ahead; encouraging and informal.
  • Ignore someone / not pay attention.
  • Take a quick trip / stop by / look around.
  • Drop by or show up: caigale a la casa.
  • Go for it / jump in / eat or drink enthusiastically.
  • To mess up / put your foot in it.
  • How embarrassing / what a cringe situation.

One rule to blend in: answer almost anything with pura vida, address people as usted (or mae with friends), and say con gusto instead of de nada. Why usted and vos matter is in how Costa Ricans speak.