Those of you who have read this column before are bound to have noticed that at the end of each article there is a definition of a Costa Rican expression or tiquismo. The purpose of including these words is to familiarize readers with these frequently used expressions. You won’t find their meanings in most Spanish dictionaries.

birra – read more

Below are more idiomatic expressions frequently used in everyday conversations by native Spanish speakers. This type of colloquial Spanish is often heard but not understood by beginning, intermediate or even advanced Spanish students.The phrases below will help you understand this modern slang.

Trabajar de sol a sol – to work nonstop.

Arrimarse read more

Last week I talked about the type of Spanish that is spoken in shops, offices, everyday conversations, movies, on street corners and among family and friends.This slang is ofteen referred to as “Street” or Colloquial Spanish.

If your goal is to speak the language fluently and understand native speakers, you should study the expressions read more