Society, Culture & Language

Culture in Costa Rica

 Customs & Etiquette

An understanding of Costa Rican customs and etiquette will not only help you blend in, but will also help you adapt to your new country. Jump into daily life, make friends, practice patience and treat each new situation as a learning opportunity. Most importantly, take surprises in stride and try to laugh off your cultural faux pas. Even in Costa Rica, laughter is always the best medicine.

Greetings

It is common to say hello and goodbye to friends and acquaintances with a light kiss on the cheek – or an air kiss accompanied by a kissing sound. Note that women kiss women and women kiss men, but men do not kiss men; instead, they either shake hands or give each other a one-armed hug. In formal or business settings, a firm handshake is the typical greeting.

Timeliness

Costa Ricans are famous for observing Tico time, known locally as "la hora tica." Costa Ricans habitually arrive late, often by 30 minutes or more, to dinner, appointments, and get-togethers – anything but the movies or the appointments at the public health clinics, for which they line up hours in advance. Many Costa Ricans do not view late arrivals as rude – and their tardiness is not meant to offend – so it's best to adjust your expectations and tell your friends to arrive earlier than you'd like.
Similarly, the word "ahora," which is Spanish for "now," means "later" or "tomorrow" in Costa Rica. If someone tells you they'll meet you "ahora" or are leaving "ahora mas tarde," it's best to clarify exactly when you'll see each other.



Gender Issues

Costa Rican culture is historically machista, or male-dominant – similar to 1950's America. For example, women traditionally take care of household chores, while men strive to be the breadwinners. Women are expected to dress nicely and wear makeup, and men don't hesitate to show their appreciation with whistles and verbal compliments. Machismo has also fueled relationship infidelity; taking (and flaunting) a mistress was once considered a source of pride.
However, Costa Rica has changed over the last several decades. While machismo and gender differences still exist, sexism and gender inequality are no longer as acceptable as they once were. Infidelity is mostly kept behind closed doors. Women often work outside the home, earning salaries equal to their male counterparts. However, Costa Rican men still appreciate female beauty, and they don't hesitate to show it. Women, try not to be offended if a man stares at you, whistles or tries out a pickup line; in most cases, these behaviors are harmless and are meant as a compliment.

Non-Confrontation

Costa Rican culture is very courteous, and confrontation and accusations are usually considered impolite. It's uncommon for a Costa Rican to get angry in public, even when complaint is warranted. In fact, Costa Ricans are taught from a young age to protest peacefully, and civil unrest is almost always expressed in planned, organized marches.
Additionally, most locals are loath to say no, instead promising "maybe." Keep in mind that a maybe is not an attempt to lie or mislead; it's simply the Costa Rican way of not hurting a friend's feelings. To blend in, try not to stir the pot or get offended when a maybe turns out to mean no; just adjust your expectations and interpret "puede ser" the way a Costa Rican would.

Dress

Costa Ricans take pride in their appearance and dress well. In business situations, both men and women dress formally but not as conservatively as in North America. Outside the office, men and women dress informally, although casual dress in Costa Rica is fancier than you might expect. For example, men rarely wear shorts except at the beach, and women's jeans are often accompanied by stiletto heels and heavy makeup. Women of all sizes wear very tight and revealing clothes – bras are often color-coordinated to match an outfit's accessories. 

Taboos/Unacceptable Behavior

Costa Rica is a Catholic country, and religious values are respected, if not always observed. Topics such as pre-marital sex, abortion, and gay marriage are generally avoided. Costa Ricans are very polite, so be sure not to put your feet on furniture; always say please and thank you, and try not raise your voice in anger, at least in public.
Typically, small towns and rural areas are more conservative than big cities, especially those in the Central Valley. Beach towns, which are frequented by tourists and expats, are also more liberal than other parts of Costa Rica. The best tactic is to err on the side of caution at all times, or at least until you have discovered what behavior is acceptable in your town.

Gift Giving

Giving gifts is common practice in Costa Rica. Presents are exchanged on Christmas, Father's Day and birthdays, and Mother's Day is one of the most important gift-giving holidays of the year. It is also appropriate to take a bottle of wine to a dinner party, or give flowers to celebrate any occasion. Avoid lilies, as they are usually reserved for funerals.

Language

Costa Rica's official language is Spanish, though a large number of its citizens are at least moderately bilingual. English, due to its status as the international language of tourists, is the most common second language in Costa Rica. In most areas frequented by tourists – hotels, restaurants and national parks – visitors will find signs in English and employees who speak it fluently. In addition, the Caribbean coast considers its local creole, which is very similar to Jamaican English, as one of its unofficial languages.

Though slightly smaller than West Virginia, Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of expressions, street slang, and country-specific vocabulary. Learning the most commonly used words and phrases will help you to understand what's going on around you, as well as enjoy the real Costa Rica, as spoken by its people.

Costa Rica's top three most common expressions:

Mae (my)

Mae can be used to mean "dude" between friends, or simply to refer to any man or woman ("ese mae te está llamando" = "that guy is calling you").

Pura vida (poor-ah vee-dah)

Pura vida means "pure life," but more than anything, it's a way of life. This phrase symbolizes the Costa Rican idea of letting things go, and simply enjoying life. Use it as an answer to "como estás?" ("how are you?"), or to say "thank you" or "you're welcome."

Tico / Tica (tee-ko/tee-ka)

Due to a quirk of speech, Costa Ricans are called Ticos. Since Spanish uses gendered nouns, a Costa Rican man is a Tico, and a Costa Rican woman is a Tica.

Costa Rican Slang:

Spanish	English
aguevado (ah-gway-va-doh)	bored or boring
brete (bre-tay)	work or job
chunche (choon-chay)	thingamajig
como amaneció? (coh-moh ah-mahn-es-ee-oh)	how are you this morning?
dolor de jupa (dole-or day hoop-ah)	a headache
estar de chicha (es-tar day chee-chah)	to be angry
estar de goma (es-tar day goh-mah)	to have a hangover
güila (gwee-lah)	Despite its meaning in Mexico, a guila in Costa Rica is merely a "girl."
jamar (hah-marh)	to eat
jumas (hoo-mahs)	drunk
la choza (lah choh-sah)	home
la jama (lah hah-mah)	food
la vara (lah bar-ah)	the thing
macha (mah-cha)	a blond female, usually a foreigner
mucho gusto (moo-choh goo-stoh)	Translating directly as "[with] much pleasure," Costa Ricans use this in lieu of "de nada," or "thank you."
no entender ni papa (no en-ten-der nee pah-pah)	to not understand a word
no joda!/no jodás! (no hoe-da/no hoe-das)	don't bother me! / leave me alone!
ojo! (oh-hoe)	watch out!
pinche (peen-chay)	Despite its meaning in Mexico, pinche means "stingy" in Costa Rica.
por dicha (poor dee-chah)	thank goodness
pulperia (pool-pehr-ee-ah)	a small corner store
pura paja (poor-ah pa-hah)	crap; bullshit
que m'iche? (kay mee-chay)	what's up? / what do you have to tell me?
que mala nota! (kay mahl-ah no-tah)	what a bad person!
que pereza! (kay pay-ray-sah)	ugh, what a drag! (synonym of "que tigra!")
salado (sahl-ah-doh)	unlucky or "too bad!"
soda (soh-dah)	a small, family-run typical restaurant
soque! (soh-kay)	hurry up!
tome chichi! (toe-may chee-chee)	Though this phrase has no direct translation, it's essentially a teasing form of "take that!"
tuanis (too-ahn-ees)	Said to be a Spanish adaptation of "too nice," this popular phrase means "cool."
una teja (oo-nah tay-hah)	Una teja is 100 of anything, usually money (100 colones). If someone is giving you directions, however, una teja refers to "100 meters," or one block.
upe! (oo-pay)	hello? anyone home?
va jalando! (bah hahl-ahn-do)	get out of here! / go away!
vieras que/viera que (bee-air-ahs kay/bee-air-ah kay)	vieras que/viera que (bee-air-ahs kay/bee-air-ah kay): Another Costa Rican idiom with no direct translation, "vieras que/viera que" means "sure", in the sense of "I sure was surprised by his apology!" ("Vieras que sorprendida me dejó su disculpa!")