tico
/ˈtiko/
To say someone is Costa Rican in Spanish, you use tico.
The term tico is used as both a noun (a Costa Rican person) and an adjective (Costa Rican culture).
Which one should you use?
The word costarricense is the formal, official demonym, whereas tico is the more common, informal term.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tico is a colloquial demonym used by both locals and foreigners.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on the specific province, other demonyms are used. For example, in the Guanacaste region, one might say Él es guanacasteco or Ella es guanacasteca to mean someone is from there. In the Limón province, one would use Él es limonense or Ella es limonense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word tico changes its ending based on gender and number: use tica when referring to a female Costa Rican, and use ticos for a group of Costa Rican men or a mixed-gender group.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtiko/
Did you know?
- The word tico actually comes from the way many Costa Ricans use the diminutive suffix '-tico' to express affection or to make things sound smaller and more charming.
- Costa Ricans often use the phrase Pura Vida as a greeting and a farewell, a linguistic habit so tied to the tico identity that it is often used as a national brand.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, 'tico' could be mistaken for a slang word for 'cheap' or 'stingy', but in Costa Rica, it is a source of national pride.
Examples in context
- Él es tico.He is Costa Rican.
- Mi mejor amigo es tico.My best friend is Costa Rican.
- ¿Eres tico?Are you Costa Rican?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new coworker at the office.
- MaríaEl nuevo empleado es tico.The new employee is Costa Rican.
- Daniel¿De verdad, María?Really, María?
- MaríaSí, Daniel, es de San José.Yes, Daniel, he is from San José.
- DanielQué bueno saberlo.That is good to know.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
