Spanish 101
Many people in Costa Rica’s popular tourism areas speak English, but even a few words of Spanish show respect, open doors and make the experience more fun.
Costa Rica in Two Words
Pura Vida
Literally “pure life,” but locally it can mean hello, goodbye, everything is great or simply a joyful way of looking at life.
Useful Words & Phrases
A Little Spanish Goes a Long Way
Lesson 01
Saying Hello
| Hi or hello | Hola |
| Good morning | Buenos días |
| Good afternoon | Buenas tardes |
| Good evening / good night | Buenas noches |
| How are you? | ¿Cómo está usted? |
| Goodbye | Adiós |
| Pure life / Everything is great | Pura vida |
Lesson 02
Mind Your Manners
| Please | Por favor |
| Thank you | Gracias |
| No | No |
| Yes | Sí |
| Sorry / Excuse me | Perdón |
| With pleasure / You’re welcome | Con mucho gusto |
Lesson 03
Food & Drink
| Breakfast | Desayuno |
| Lunch | Almuerzo |
| Dinner | Cena |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
| A beer, please | Una cerveza, por favor |
| Food | Comida |
| Appetizer / bar snack | Boca |
| Red / white wine, please | Vino tinto / blanco, por favor |
Lesson 04
Money & Shopping
| How much? | ¿Cuánto? |
| Very expensive | Muy caro |
| Cheaper | Más barato |
| ATM | Cajero automático |
| Credit card | Tarjeta de crédito |
| I need change, please | Necesito menudo, por favor |
| How many colones per dollar? | ¿Cuántos colones por dólar? |
| 1,000 colones | Mil colones |
| 5,000 colones | Cinco mil colones |
| 10,000 colones | Diez mil colones |
| 20,000 colones | Veinte mil colones |
Lesson 05
Getting Around
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla usted inglés? |
| Where is the bathroom? | ¿Dónde está el baño? |
| Left | Izquierda |
| Right | Derecha |
| Can you speak more slowly? | ¿Podría hablar más despacio? |
| I need a taxi, please | Necesito un taxi, por favor |
Lesson 06
Numbers
| 1 | Uno |
| 2 | Dos |
| 3 | Tres |
| 4 | Cuatro |
| 5 | Cinco |
| 6 | Seis |
| 7 | Siete |
| 8 | Ocho |
| 9 | Nueve |
| 10 | Diez |
Lesson 07
Days & Time
| Monday | Lunes |
| Tuesday | Martes |
| Wednesday | Miércoles |
| Thursday | Jueves |
| Friday | Viernes |
| Saturday | Sábado |
| Sunday | Domingo |
| Yesterday | Ayer |
| Today | Hoy |
| Tomorrow | Mañana |
Want to Learn More?
Practice Spanish Without Leaving Your Condo
CRDM can arrange a private Spanish instructor to come directly to your vacation residence. These phrases are also available in our downloadable Concierge Guide.