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Pura Vida Meaning: Where Does Pura Vida Come From?

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We've had a lot of questions about the meaning and origins of the Costa Rican phrase Pura Vida. Our Costa Rica country correspondents give their thoughts on Pura Vida and what it means to them. By John Michael Arthur If there were only one Spanish phrase to learn before coming to Costa Rica, it would be pura vida, because you can use it in almost any situation. It is used as a greeting and as a farewell; you can use it for “I’m doing well” or “Everything's cool”; you can use it for “Oh well!” or “That’s life!” It also can be used for “You’re welcome” or “No worries”--or just about any exclamation like “That’s great!” Pura vida does translate literally as “pure life.” But like most literal translations, that isn’t actually the best or most accurate English explanation, as you can see from the above examples. Growing up in the South there was a similar use of the word “pure." It was common to hear your grandmother say something like: “That’s just but pure bull!” The idea was that it was

We've had a lot of questions about the meaning and origins of the Costa Rican phrase Pura Vida . Our Costa Rica country correspondents give their thoughts on Pura Vida and what it means to them. The Meaning of Pura Vida By John Michael Arthur John Michael Arthur If there were only one Spanish phrase to learn before coming to Costa Rica , it would be pura vida, because you can use it in almost any situation. It is used as a greeting and as a farewell; you can use it for “I’m doing well” or “Everything's cool”; you can use it for “Oh well!” or “That’s life!” It also can be used for “You’re welco

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