Tico Expressions – Costarriqueñismos #5

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 feature one of these tico expressions, offering a brief explanation, usage examples, and, whenever possible, some historical background.

Tico Expression #5: Achará and Acharita

If you spend any length of time in Costa Rica, sooner or later you may hear a Tico say “¡Achará!” when something goes slightly wrong. It is one of those small, warm words that captures a very Costa Rican way of meeting life’s minor disappointments: not with frustration, but with a gentle, almost affectionate sense of “oh, what a pity.”

You are most likely to hear it from older Costa Ricans, and more often outside the bustle of San José, in the smaller towns of the countryside where traditional phrases are still used in everyday speech. Younger, city-dwelling Ticos know the word too, though some reach for it more sparingly, or with a touch of playful nostalgia.

What it means

Achará (along with its softer diminutive versions acharita and charita) is an interjection that translates roughly as “what a shame.” Ticos use it for something that would have been lovely but didn’t come to pass, such as a missed chance or a small loss.

A few everyday examples:

• ¡Achará! Se nos fue el fin de semana.: “What a shame, the weekend is over.”
• Acharita que no pudiste venir.: “What a pity you couldn’t come.”
• Charita, ya no queda café.: “Aw, there’s no coffee left.”

Where it comes from

The origins of achará are debated, and the competing theories are part of what makes the word so interesting, because each one points to a different chapter of Costa Rica’s history.

One tradition, found in dictionaries of costarriqueñismos, traces the word to Caló, the language of the Spanish Roma, and the word acharán, meaning “sad” or “upset.” A related idea connects it to the old Andalusian Spanish verb acharar, “to upset or embarrass.”

However, another popular tradition holds that achará descends from the Ladino language, or the old Spanish of the Sephardic Jews, from a word (hasharah) meaning roughly “it spoiled” or “it was ruined.”  Its use in Costa Rica may possibly be attributed to the country’s converted Jewish families who settled in the region centuries ago.