Sidebar #31 - Pura Vida

"Pura Vida" is the motto, slogan, and greeting all wrapped into one that permeates Costa Rican society. If you’ve been to Costa Rica before, you’ve certainly heard “Pura Vida”, and even if you haven’t been, I’d wager you’ve seen some kind of advertisement about Costa Rica with it. You probably don’t need a background in Spanish to glean that “Pura Vida” translates to “Pure Life” in English. On the surface, “Pura Vida” is all about going with the flow and enjoying life to the fullest regardless of the twists and turns it may take. With Costa Rica’s focus on nature, ecotourism, and vibrancy, “Pura Vida” is an easy marketing tool for the country. You’ll see it on signs and shirts everywhere. Even a bracelet company adopted the name. Linguistically, it’s used in a variety of ways in Costa Rica. Something good happens? “Pura Vida”. Someone asks how you are, whether you’re doing well or not? “Pura Vida”. It is a common way to say hello and goodbye, but also yes or no sometimes. As a gringo, sometimes it’s a little difficult to understand what a Tico means when they say “Pura Vida” because its meaning is so ambiguous and varies greatly depending on the context. There’s nothing more Tico than saying “Pura Vida”, so if/when you come to Costa Rica, be on the lookout for everything Pura Vida.