pura vida
/puɾa bida/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase "pure life" is expressed as pura vida.
pura vida is a common Costa Rican expression used to say hello, say goodbye or to express that everything is going great. It serves as a general expression of positivity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective pura (pure) and the noun vida (life).
Is it said differently in some regions?
pura vida is a quintessential cultural identifier of Costa Rica and is used much more frequently there than in other Spanish-speaking countries.
When do people say it?
In similar Costa Rican slang, you might also encounter tuanis to mean "cool", chiva to mean "awesome" or maje as a slang term for "friend" (replacing amigo).
Did you know?
- The massive surge of pura vida in the 1970s and 80s helped brand Costa Rica's identity around 'peace and life' instead of military power.
- While used as a positive greeting, pura vida can also act as a verbal shrug meaning 'it is what it is' during a minor inconvenience.
- The word vida shares an ancient root with the English word 'vital', both tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European concept of life energy.
Examples in context
- ¡Pura vida, amigo!Everything is great, friend!
- Todo está pura vida por aquí.Everything is wonderful around here.
- Pura vida, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Daniel and María meet at a local café in San José.
- Daniel¡Pura vida, María!Hello, María!
- María¡Hola, Daniel! ¿Cómo va todo?Hi, Daniel! How is everything going?
- DanielTodo está pura vida.Everything is great.
- MaríaMe alegra mucho escuchar eso.I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vida, CC BY-SA 4.0.
