www.CostaRicaTicas.com

No matter how many times I go to Costa Rica, I always come back having learned something. This is a thread that I would appreciate comment on by Spanish speakers, and those who live in CR (and, even those like me, who merely attempt and pretend to speak the language).

My limited espanol was learned in Mexico and Guatemala. In those places I was taught in formal classes on the use of the familiar verb form; ie: the "tu." I always try to rationalize my giving money to the ladies as being partly for a spanish lesson. They always seem to think its cute, and are more than willing to play maestra.

It was my impression that once you got to know someone, and esociallt if they were much younger, it was proper to address them in the familiar verb form. The young Tica I was with last time told me that in Costa Rica, the familiar was "almost never" used. She said "always usted."

Correct? Comment?
-Gopher

Ghoper,

Both forms are correct, usted or tu, happens to be TICOS and other nationalities do not use the "tu" as many times and as often.
In some spheres and for some poeple when they hear someone talking in the "Tu" form....they tend to thing you are being ridiculous, but you are not.

It is mainly a matter of being used to it. Now in other cases when I refer to you in the Usted form, I could be treating you with the respect you deserve, now when i talk to you on the Tu form it is more informal meaning we are buddies...


Hope it helps

Mente

_________________
Tico and Panama, let me know if you need any help down here.
Panamaexplorers.com

Thanks for the response Mente. Does anyone have general comment on the familiar/informal vis a vis Colombia, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic?

The 4 groups we tend to converse with (in San Jose, at the Marlin) are the above 3, plus local Tico spanish. On my upcoming trip I want to practice learning which spanish dialect group I am dealing with, and adjust accordingly.

Whenever I speak to a tico and vice versa, it is mostly in the "tu" form. Of course, I am mostly talking about ticos around 18-30 and rarely we use the "usted" form unless I am talking to an older person and even then, it is not doen very often.

Now, they make fun of you if you say the word, "tu" in a sentence instead of saying, "eres muy preciosa"

you say, "Tu eres muy preciosa", then they may laugh at you since it is already implied by the verb and is not necessary.

But, what about greeting someone you know; say a Tica you have been with, or know from a prior trip; or the bartender with a "como estas" as opposed to "como esta?" Is "como estas" considered impolite?

In CR, none of those are considered impolite. Especially if you are at the BM. The usage of Ud and Tu used to be where Ud was the polite way to use if you spoke to someone older, you had just met, or someone who commanded respect. However, in the last 10-15 years, Ud is rarely used. I think that CR is one of the few places that still uses it but either version is fine.

Here are some other greeting you can use instead of, "com esta(s)"

"como le va(s), "que se dice(s), and of course, "que paso".

que tal ??

Let's not forget that Costa Rican also use the form "vos".

For example: ¿Cuántos dólares tenés vos en la cartera del bolsillo izquierdo de ese lindo pantalón?

Dildo Man