Tile floor in a Costa Rican restaurant greets visitors with a love of life.
© Sheron Long
When It Comes to Greetings & Good-byes, “Pura Vida” Sings
Ciao! That’s a pretty universal way to say “good-bye,” though in Italian—the language that gave this word to the world—it’s used for both “hello” and “good-bye.” In that respect, it’s much like aloha in Hawaiian or pura vida in the Spanish language of Costa Rica.
In many languages, “hello” passes along little more than a quick greeting. But in Costa Rica pura vida comes from a more meaningful place within. Though translated literally as “pure life,” it bespeaks a contentment with life, one that embodies a relaxed lifestyle and the satisfaction of a life enjoyed.
When spoken as a greeting, it can be a question somewhat like “How’s the good life?” When answering the “How are you?” question, it means something like “Life is good.” Said as a good-bye, it can mean “Take it easy and enjoy life.”
Pura vida—It’s not just a word or two, it’s an attitude toward the world.
See Omniglot for a complete list of greetings and good-byes in many languages.
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