¿ME REGALA? (me ɾe-ga-la): According to the Diccionario de la Lengua Española (Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy), the verb regala” means “to give someone something without receiving anything in return.” The verb regalar is closely linked in meaning to the word regalo which means “present” or “gift.” If you own

Many foreign nationals visit Costa Rica to enjoy its natural beauties such as its volcanoes, mountains, rivers, beaches, and the varied wildlife. It is a peaceful country full of many opportunities. Many of Costa Rica’s visitors end up living in here and building a new life. A few years down

PULPERIA (pool-peh-ree-ah)  Pulperías are typical grocery stores commonly found in many Latin American countries, namely: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They date back to as far as the XVI century in South America and many struggle to survive in today’s highly

PARQUEAR(SE) (paɾ-kay-aɾ-se) ¿Parquear, estacionar o aparcar? Such is the question! Parquear is a verb used also in Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico and has the same meaning: ”to park.” The verb estacionar is mostly used in the Southern Cone countries such as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, whereas aparcar is

(ESTAR) CON TODA LA PATA (es-taɾ kon to-ða la pa-ta): Estar and ser are usually the first verbs one is taught when learning Spanish. This makes a whole lot of sense because both estar and ser are the infinitive forms of the English verb “to be” which you learned when

DAR PELOTA (A ALGUIEN) (daɾ pe-lo-ta a al-ɣjen): The expression dar pelota implies that someone is flirting with someone, taking notice of someone, or paying attention to someone. Interestingly, pelota and bola are both used, sometimes interchangeably, to refer to a football/soccer ball. While these terms are both synonyms, one

CON MUCHO GUSTO/CON GUSTO (moo-cho guhs-toh) What words first come to mind when you think of the most commonly used words? Tough question, huh? What comes to my mind? I’d start with words such as: thank you (gracias); hello (hola); good-bye (adiós); love (amor); friends (amigos); and so forth. It’s obviously

¿COMO AMANECIÓ? (ko-mo a-ma-ne-sio) This expression is used in both Costa Rica and Mexico and, with a very slight variation, in Spain as well (¿Cómo ha amanecido?). Most Costa Ricans are known for being friendly and polite and this extends to the language. If you were born in Costa Rica

CHINEADO/CHINEADA (tʃi-ne-aðo / tʃi-ne-aða) The word chineado/chineada is both an adjective and the past participle of the verb chinear. In Spanish, unlike English and many other languages, we use an “o”-ending to indicate that an adjective refers to a male subject and an “a”-ending to refer to a female subject.

The Collins Dictionary defines costarriqueñismo as a “word or phrase peculiar to Costa Rica.” And, among the most peculiar phrases, diay! stands out. This is an interjection used to state something, make a question, or to express admiration, ignorance or lack of knowledge. It could translate to meaning “so,” or