Spanish in Costa Rica

The most common thing you hear is that Spanish in Costa Rica is very formal, but what does that even mean? Here I'll give a quick run-down of Spanish do's and don'ts in Costa Rica, as well as some common phrases and their use.

Formality & Manners

The formal "you." Normally in Spanish you use "usted" to say "you" to: someone you haven't met before, people in a position of authority (e.g. teacher, police officer), or someone older than you. Once you establish a rapport, many Spanish speakers will tell you to use "tú" with them.

In Costa Rica, always use "usted" to address someone and you'll never be wrong. People will almost always use it with you; my host family even used "usted" to address the dog. The only time I heard someone use "tú" with me in Costa Rica was from one professor and every once in a while from my host mother when she was telling me to eat more. You as a student should definitely never use "tú" to an adult, and most young people use "usted" amongst themselves except for close friends. You'll occasionally see "tú" in advertisements.

Some people say it's because Costa Ricans highly value manners. I feel more that it just has to do with the way people tend to speak and there isn't really a reason besides tradition, like why only Spaniards really use the "vosotros" conjugation.

Finally, an extra random note: when Costa Ricans answer the phone they say something along the lines of "Alo" usually followed by "Buenas" or "Muy buenas."

Small talk. A point of speaking in Costa Rica that definitely is due to manners is the well-practiced art of small-talk. Costa Ricans love to chat, however briefly, about most anything. They'll frequently ask you where you're from in the U.S., how you like Costa Rica, how long you've been there, what you're studying there, and when you plan to return. Unfortunately if you're shy they tend to just assume you can't speak Spanish well, so do what you can to come up with some answer.

Goodbyes. In Costa Rica people that I encountered tended to have very drawn-out farewells, especially if you were actually leaving for any decent amount of time. Most often people will say "Que Dios le acompañe," (God be with you) and/or "que le vaya bien" (Basically meaning "Hope it goes well"). Usually the best response to these is just "gracias," to each instance of these you hear (can be numerous). A good response is also "fue un placer" (it was a pleasure), especially if you recently met someone. There is also a whole set of goodbyes for passing strangers, interestingly enough. Most often people will call "Adios" (goodbye) to others who walk by. Also common is to say "Buenas" (a combo greeting of "buenos días" + "buenas tardes" + "buenas noches"), especially when two people pass each other while walking.

Service & Public Transport. In Costa Rica you will use a great deal of public transport since few people have cars—even if they do, people typically don't use them to conserve gas. When you take a bus the price will often be posted on a sheet of paper taped to the front windshield. Ideally you'll have your change already counted, but absolutely have money ready when you step on. If you're paying for the person(s) behind you, such as if you're traveling in a group, then you can tell the bus driver "para los dos/tres/etc)" when you step on so he can give you correct change. The buses have sensors near the door that count the number of people that enter, which is then compared to the amount of money the bus driver has at the end of the day. If you stand in the doorway counting money out you artificially raise the count and the bus driver will probably yell at you. However, also be good about counting your change. It isn't common, but I have been (accidentally?) ripped off by a few bus drivers who gave me the wrong coins or forgot to give me an entire bill back. Some people count their change before they walk away from the bus driver, and others walk back up to the front to correct it. Never tip a bus driver.

With taxis there are actually a lot of things you need to keep in mind to not get ripped off, but some things are acceptable in terms of manners. Firstly, it's ok to ask whether the meter ("maría") is on. Cab drivers like to "forget" to turn it on and then charge you an arbitrary, exorbitant price when you leave. Also don't feel bad about counting your change before walking away from the cab because many actually will try to short you small change (e.g. give you two 25 colónes coins instead of two 100 coins). You rarely tip a taxi driver, and many will refuse one anyway.

In restaurants the tip is already included in your bill. In many places the service charge (tip) is included in the price of the food, but at many bars they add it when they calculate your bill (typically 10%). Obviously tips are accepted—some places will leave a jar out—but it is not expected or necessary, because people in food service in Costa Rica aren't expecting to make almost all of their paycheck from tips like they do in the U.S.

So: when do you tip in Costa Rica? Almost never. The only time when a tip is expected is when a bellhop helps you carry luggage to your hotel room, at which point I've heard it's anticipated at at least $1 a bag. I've never personally used a bellhop so I can't confirm this myself.

Accent

The accent in Costa Rica is very neutral and plain, perhaps like the Midwestern accent of the U.S. Nobody rolls their Rs; this applies to single R words like "Costa Rica" and even double R words like "carro." The Rs that would normally be rolled sound a lot like what an American accent sounds like anyway. Some people even find it funny when you roll your R, because it sounds weird to them.

Some people have  slight lisp, but typically Costa Rican Spanish is very well-enunciated. The biggest thing I noticed (my listening experience is primarily Mexican Spanish) is that it is spoken very quickly. Almost everyone slows it down when they address you, but it makes it difficult to understand what two people are saying between themselves.

Slang & Common Phrases in Costa Rica

Most of us learn the Castillian Spanish words in class, so it's important to take the time to study the local terminology.

Maní … peanut (not cacahuate)

Salchicha … Hot dog

Salchichón … Sausage

Miel … syrup

Miel de abeja ... honey

Papas … potatoes (not papas)

Paño … towel (not toalla)

Anteojos … glasses (not gafas)

Carro … car (not coche)

Bulto … backpack (not mochila)

Medias … socks (not calcetines)

Mae … dude (usage notes below)

Macho/Macha ... blondie (frequently used to address Americans)

Gato/Gata ... light-eyed person (frequently used to address Americans)

Adios … common salutation in passing

Buenas … good morning/good afternoon/good evening all in one, usually in passing

Vale la pena … it's worth it

No vale la pena … it's not worth it

Que Dios le acompañe … God be with you

Que le vaya bien … Hope it goes well

¿Cómo le va? … How's it going?

¿Cómo le fue? … How did it go?

Lengua de gata ... "cat tongue;" unable to eat really hot food

Using "mae" correctly. Mae is like "dude" in English, but not nearly so generally used. For example, it isn't weird if I say "dude" to a friend. It's a little outdated maybe, but it's really commonly understood and there aren't really rules about proper manners when saying "dude" besides don't say it in formal settings, since it's slang. "Mae" is a bit more restricted, though the meaning is pretty much the same. One rule is that girls don't really say it; it would be seen as slightly crude and/or disrespectful to the other person. Another is that you only say it to friends; if you only say it to an acquaintance or stranger it may be interpreted as disrespectful and potentially as a provocation for a problem. Third, you shouldn't ever say it in formal situations because it's slang.