Tico Expressions - Costarriqueñismos #4
These expressions reflect the country’s rich cultural, historical, and social context and are part of what gives Costa Rican Spanish its distinctive charm.
In each issue of Surfing the Law, we will feature one of these tico expressions, offering a brief explanation, usage examples, and, whenever possible, some historical background.
Tico Expression #4: Pochotón or Pochotona
One very colorful Costa Rican adjective used to describe another person is pochotón for men or pochotona for women. This colloquial term is used to describe someone who looks strong, sturdy, robust, or full of vitality. In everyday speech, it often suggests a person with a solid, healthy build rather than someone who is simply overweight. In fact, linguistic research on colloquial Costa Rican speech associates the expression with strength and vitality, especially when referring to younger or not-yet-elderly people.
With this term, nuance is important. Depending on tone and context, it can sound complimentary, but also a little too forward. A person who is “pochotón” may be broad-shouldered, physically solid, athletic-looking, or simply well put together in a strong and healthy way. In casual use, it can describe a man who looks powerful or a woman who looks strong, full-bodied, and vigorous. However, it would not be appropriate to use this term in a formal setting or with someone with whom you are not close.
The word is widely believed to come from the pochote tree, one of Costa Rica’s most distinctive native trees. The pochote, identified in Costa Rican tree references as bombacopsis quinata, is especially well known in the country’s dry tropical forests of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula. It is a large tree that can reach roughly 25 to 35 meters in height and is famous for its thick trunk covered in prominent thorns. Because of its imposing, rugged, and powerful appearance, it makes intuitive sense that a colloquial adjective derived from pochote would come to describe a person who looks strong or sturdy.
What makes the term especially interesting is how it reflects a very local way of seeing the body. In English, words for physical build often divide too sharply between “thin,” “muscular,” and “overweight.” Pochotón sits somewhere different, as it conveys presence, substance and overall health. It is the kind of word that tells you as much about Costa Rican cultural expression as it does about physical appearance: vivid, playful, and rooted in the natural world.