❾sta es la calle a…? = Is this the road to…? ❺ donde va? = Where are you going? What’s your destination? ¿Necesito un tiquete? (Do I need a ticket?). Not all buses use tickets but it is good to ask. Tiquete = Ticket (for the bus, ferry, etc). Impuestos ventas = Sales tax (13%) Transportation This is the 10% added to the bill for tip. In Costa Rica, the server won’t bring this unless you ask for it. Soups are typically served with a side of white rice. Common soups are olla de carne (similar to beef stew), sopa de mariscos (seafood soup), and sopa negra (black bean soup, usually with a poached egg). Instead of chicken ( pollo), you might also see rice with shrimp ( arroz con camarones) and other variations.
This is a fried rice dish that is very flavorful. The dish usually consists of rice ( arroz) and beans ( frijoles), a protein like meat ( bistec/steak chuleta de cerdo/pork chop or pollo/chicken) or fish ( pescado), and several side salads like green salad ( ensalada verde), pasta salad ( ensalada pasta), etc.Īrroz con pollo = Rice with chicken.
Casado translates to “married” and this traditional lunch dish truly has a marriage of flavors. Gallo pinto literally translates to painted rooster.Ĭasado = Lunch Plate. Sometimes comes with fried local cheese ( queso), toast ( tostadas) or tortillas, and fruit ( frutas). Gallo pinto = Breakfast dish of rice and beans mixed together, served alongside eggs and fried plantain. Con agua means blended with ice and con leche means blended with ice and milk (milk shake). Refresco naturale = A fruit drink with ice ( hielo).īatido = A fruit smoothie. Don’t worry, they always bring sugar packets. The server will ask you ❼afé con leche o negro? (Coffee with milk or black).
Vino tinto is red wine and vino blanco is white wine.Ĭafé= Coffee. Check out our post about the most popular local beers. You might want una botella de agua (a bottle of water) or agua del tubo (tap water). ¿Para tomar? = What would you like to drink? This is usually the first thing a server will ask you.Īgua = Water. Remember that America is used to describe North, Central, and South America. ❽e donde eres? = Where are you from? Los Estados Unidos is the United States Canadá is Canada. ¿Habla Inglés?= Do you speak English? Some Ticos might reply un poco (a little). ❺cepta tarjetas de crédito? = Do you accept credit cards? ❽ónde está… ?= Where is…? Useful when asking for directions or where something is ( ❽ónde está el baño? Where is the bathroom?) ¿Tiene…?= Do you have…? Good to use if you’re looking for a certain item at a store ( e.g., ¿Tiene Tylenol?) Asking for Thingsĭiscúlpe = Excuse me (when you need to get someone’s attention). Hasta mañana= See you tomorrow (“until tomorrow”). Hasta luego = See you later, or literally, until later. The idea is that you aren’t staying around to chat. For example, if you are driving past someone walking on the street and want to greet them, you could say adiós instead of hola. We have also heard adiós used as a sort of greeting and goodbye. The basic way to say goodbye.Īdiós = A slightly more formal way of saying goodbye. You’ll hear the locals use this all the time. It is more casual and works in the morning, afternoon, or evening. This is the basic way to say hello.īuenas = Shorthand way of saying hello, any time of day. If you both sound bad but somehow figure it out, everyone wins! Different Scenariosīelow are some of the situations you’re likely to encounter on your next trip to Costa Rica. If you have the confidence to try speaking some Spanish, you might find that suddenly they get up the courage to use their English too. In most instances, they really appreciate that you are trying and only want to help.Īnother thing that goes along with this is that many Ticos are just as shy about their English skills as you are about your Spanish. This applies to speaking Spanish as well so don’t feel stupid if the person you are talking to is correcting your pronunciation or word choice. For this reason, they will usually go out of their way to help you. Costa Ricans are in general some of the friendliest people on earth. In this post, we’ll give you some of the most common Spanish words and phrases for your visit to Costa Rica.īefore we start in on the specifics, there is something you should know about talking Spanish to Ticos.
Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country, however, and you are bound to get some blank stares in certain situations. The good news is that many Ticos (Costa Ricans) have some English skills, and others, especially those working in the tourism industry, are quite fluent. We remember those days too and hear from lots of others who are unsure of how they’ll get by without much or any Spanish. If you are worried about not speaking Spanish for your upcoming trip to Costa Rica, you’re not alone.
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