Con Gusto
By: Brianna Creamer (CAS ’28)
GRIP: Sustainable Development in Monteverde, Costa Rica
As a student, you are always told that the proper response to gracias (thank you) is de nada (you’re welcome). It’s drilled into your head as a phrase of respect, a phrase of gratitude. However, in Monteverde –and in all of Costa Rica– the proper response to gracias is con gusto (with pleasure).
As silly as it sounds, I love this phrase. It reminds me that slang and vernaculars exist everywhere and in every culture. Just as no problem has become the Gen Z response to thank you, con gusto has taken over for de nada.
From my initial introduction to con gusto, I considered whether this was a response of respect or if it was similar to how Chick-fil-A workers are trained to say my pleasure. Through my first few days in Costa Rica, I only heard it used in formal restaurant settings or for business purposes so I leaned towards a trained phrase, a response solely reserved for customers and tourists to promote service in an area fueled by tourism. Yet, I was still fascinated. It was not one service, not one restaurant, the phrase was everywhere and spoken by everyone.
Upon moving into my homestay, whenever I would thank my host mom she would also respond with con gusto; not just towards me but to her own family when they thanked her as well. From this, I began to see con gusto not as a phrase of tourism but as a phrase built into culture.
When talking to my host mom about its popularity she said “Simplemente es así. No estoy seguro de por qué, pero eso es lo que decimos” (It’s just the way it is, I’m not sure why that’s just what we say). The phrase is built into the Costa Rican vernacular Spanish language, it’s a more genuine way to say you’re welcome, a way to show that you really care. And at the end of the day, that is what Costa Rican culture is, families live near each other and visit often, communities thrive on local events, and the version of Spanish spoken invokes care and familiarity.
I love this phrase because it represents the mindset of the community I have the privilege to be a part of, it says my pleasure because everyone truly takes pride in all that they do and the care they place into both locals and tourists alike. Even for activities that my group and I felt were taking longer due to our involvement were greeted with con gusto and in some cases tears. Con gusto is the epitome of Costa Rican culture in the best ways possible, a phrase that sheds light on the community centered nature of Monteverde.