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Culture Smart: How’s Life in Costa Rica?

by Sheron Long on October 6, 2013

Tile floor showing the traditional Costa Rican greeting "Pura Vida," which represents deeper cultural values on the love of life

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.

Toucan
See Omniglot for a complete list of greetings and good-byes in many languages.

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