Costa Rican Spanish is smooth. This is not the Aymara- or Quechua-derived Spanish with its hard palatal clacking I initially learned. It's a fluid, soft accent, without the jarring lisps or pronunciations you hear other places.
And it's not just the accent itself, but the delivery and Tico-style speak is almost (U.S.) Southern with this hyper gentility. They don't use the personal you tú form at all. Everyone (friends, little kids, couples) addresses each other with formal usted form, or what would represent Sir and Ma'am in most other Latino countries. "You're welcome" isn't "de nada" (it's nothing) here, but "con gusto" (with pleasure). When people get off the bus, they thank the bus driver with "Thank you, God bless." Where we use "if there's anything else you need" or "any way I can help," Ticos use literal translations of "at your orders/service."
And, they're big on terms of endearment, regardless of whether there is any actual relational endearment between the two speakers. When I go buy milk from the little shop next door, I get a "How are you my love," from the owner. I thank the IT guy for fixing changes on the Daily Page, and he'll reply with a "With pleasure, honey." When I went to buy a phone card, the middle aged phone company guy asked me, "How can I serve you today, queen?" These types of things are said all day every day among a married and unmarried person, two people of the same gender, whomever, and it has no suggestive connotation; they just really dig being polite. Of course, that can be the problem sometimes, too.
While it's a general trend in Latin America that people don't like to let you down by saying 'no,' this doesn't mean they will get you what you need, just that they have a softer way of letting you down. In La Paz, you could bet on hearing "Es que no hay" (it's just that there isn't any) on a daily basis. In Costa Rica, it's "No sabría decirle" (I wouldn't know what to tell you) from every other "customer serivce rep" you talk to. People will tell you an interview is cancelled or that their cab meter is broken and your fare is twice as high as it should be while smiling. Frankly, it makes you want to pop a left hook in that smile.
My interview with a 17-year-old convicted felon has been my easiest by far for one reason: It was straightforward. He was perfectly affable and talked easily while gnawing on a piece of raw spaghetti, and I got more out of my five-minute interview with him (you can rent a gun for four hours for $18 in his neighborhood, one of the city's most notorious) than I did in the 45-minute interview with the legal expert ("You could say there's been a light increase in youth violence in recent years").
Even knowing it's all just cultural adaptation, all the over-formality makes it hard sometimes for this Pacifc Northwest Yankee to not want to sit down and have a DTR talk with the Judicial Investigation Police spokesman, which would essentially go, "I give you the question (have you made any arrests in the case yet?), you give me the answer (yes/no). End of transaction. We don't need to bring terms of endearment/submission into this."
Gillian, one of our reporters, could probably have one of those talks with this legislative aide. (And yes, this is a particularly egregious example.)
-----Mensaje original-----
De: Gillian
Para: Herman
Asunto: consulta de Tico Times
Estimado don Hermán,
Un cordial saludo departe de Gillian de The Tico Times. Le escribo para pedir el proyecto de ley de la capitalización de bancos. ¿Me lo podría enviar de una vez?
¡Gracias!
Gillian
Dear Hermán,
Best regards from Gillian of The Tico Times. I'm writing you to ask for the plan for the law on bank capitalizations. Could you send it to me one (more) time?
Thanks!
Gillian
----- Original Message -----
From: Herman
To: Gillian
Subject: RE: consulta de Tico Times
Distinguida Señorita, adjunto le envío la Ley de Banca de Desarrollo que considero Usted necesita, un gusto poder servirle y que Dios bendiga su trabajo en la información del periódico la cual Usted es funcionaria, para mi ha sido un privilegio servirle, estoy a su orden para cualquier información que requiera. Un abrazo y un gusto es bendecirle a Usted en esta mañana..
Distinguished Miss (Gillers),
I'm sending you the attached Law of Development Banking which I believe you need. It's a pleasure to be able to serve you and may God bless your work in the reporting for the newspaper of which you are a member. It has been a privilege for me to serve you, I'm at your orders for whatever information you may need. A hug and it is a pleasure to bless you this morning ...
He sent her the wrong bill twice.
And it's not just the accent itself, but the delivery and Tico-style speak is almost (U.S.) Southern with this hyper gentility. They don't use the personal you tú form at all. Everyone (friends, little kids, couples) addresses each other with formal usted form, or what would represent Sir and Ma'am in most other Latino countries. "You're welcome" isn't "de nada" (it's nothing) here, but "con gusto" (with pleasure). When people get off the bus, they thank the bus driver with "Thank you, God bless." Where we use "if there's anything else you need" or "any way I can help," Ticos use literal translations of "at your orders/service."
And, they're big on terms of endearment, regardless of whether there is any actual relational endearment between the two speakers. When I go buy milk from the little shop next door, I get a "How are you my love," from the owner. I thank the IT guy for fixing changes on the Daily Page, and he'll reply with a "With pleasure, honey." When I went to buy a phone card, the middle aged phone company guy asked me, "How can I serve you today, queen?" These types of things are said all day every day among a married and unmarried person, two people of the same gender, whomever, and it has no suggestive connotation; they just really dig being polite. Of course, that can be the problem sometimes, too.
While it's a general trend in Latin America that people don't like to let you down by saying 'no,' this doesn't mean they will get you what you need, just that they have a softer way of letting you down. In La Paz, you could bet on hearing "Es que no hay" (it's just that there isn't any) on a daily basis. In Costa Rica, it's "No sabría decirle" (I wouldn't know what to tell you) from every other "customer serivce rep" you talk to. People will tell you an interview is cancelled or that their cab meter is broken and your fare is twice as high as it should be while smiling. Frankly, it makes you want to pop a left hook in that smile.
My interview with a 17-year-old convicted felon has been my easiest by far for one reason: It was straightforward. He was perfectly affable and talked easily while gnawing on a piece of raw spaghetti, and I got more out of my five-minute interview with him (you can rent a gun for four hours for $18 in his neighborhood, one of the city's most notorious) than I did in the 45-minute interview with the legal expert ("You could say there's been a light increase in youth violence in recent years").
Even knowing it's all just cultural adaptation, all the over-formality makes it hard sometimes for this Pacifc Northwest Yankee to not want to sit down and have a DTR talk with the Judicial Investigation Police spokesman, which would essentially go, "I give you the question (have you made any arrests in the case yet?), you give me the answer (yes/no). End of transaction. We don't need to bring terms of endearment/submission into this."
Gillian, one of our reporters, could probably have one of those talks with this legislative aide. (And yes, this is a particularly egregious example.)
-----Mensaje original-----
De: Gillian
Para: Herman
Asunto: consulta de Tico Times
Estimado don Hermán,
Un cordial saludo departe de Gillian de The Tico Times. Le escribo para pedir el proyecto de ley de la capitalización de bancos. ¿Me lo podría enviar de una vez?
¡Gracias!
Gillian
Dear Hermán,
Best regards from Gillian of The Tico Times. I'm writing you to ask for the plan for the law on bank capitalizations. Could you send it to me one (more) time?
Thanks!
Gillian
----- Original Message -----
From: Herman
To: Gillian
Subject: RE: consulta de Tico Times
Distinguida Señorita, adjunto le envío la Ley de Banca de Desarrollo que considero Usted necesita, un gusto poder servirle y que Dios bendiga su trabajo en la información del periódico la cual Usted es funcionaria, para mi ha sido un privilegio servirle, estoy a su orden para cualquier información que requiera. Un abrazo y un gusto es bendecirle a Usted en esta mañana..
Distinguished Miss (Gillers),
I'm sending you the attached Law of Development Banking which I believe you need. It's a pleasure to be able to serve you and may God bless your work in the reporting for the newspaper of which you are a member. It has been a privilege for me to serve you, I'm at your orders for whatever information you may need. A hug and it is a pleasure to bless you this morning ...
He sent her the wrong bill twice.
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