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Tico Language
Spanish is the main language in Costa Rica. All major newspapers and official business are conducted in Spanish. English is used widely in areas populated by international tourists, and information for tourists is often bilingual or exclusively in English. A number of businesses operated by European proprietors can accommodate guests in Spanish, English and their native languages.
Some Costa Rican expressions:
- Ma’e, used akin to the English word "dude", although literally meaning something more like "idiot". Generally spoken among friends. It’s pronounced ‘my’.
- Pura vida, literally translated as "pure life", is an expression endemic to Costa Rica. It can be used in several contexts, as an expression of enthusiasm, agreement, or salutation. It’s pronounced ‘poora veeda’.
- Pulpería, a general store.
- Tuanis, means "OK" or "cool". Taken from English phrase "too nice".
Limónese Creole
Original content here
A prevalent version of slang in Costa Rica, and other regions of Latin America, is called "pachuco" or "pachuquismo", and is used by across social classes and understood as a "friendly" way of speaking. The "tu" form is not commonly used in Costa Rica (or in Central America generally), yet they understand it and have no problem using it with gringos or others who may have learned it. Some people use the alternate informal "vos" but others consider it impolite and simply always use the “usted” form even with close friends. "Vosotros" is practically nonexistent. As well as Costa Rican Spanish, there is also an English-based creole language spoken in Limón Province (Puerto Limón) on the Caribbean Sea coast of Costa Rica. It is called Limónese Creole (also called Limón Creole English or Mekatelyu) Limón Coastal Creole is similar to varieties such as Colón Creole, Mískito Coastal Creole, Belizean Kriol language, and San Andrés and Providencia Creole. The name Mekatelyu is a transliteration of the phrase "make I tell you", or in standard English "let me tell you".
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