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"Catracho" is an adjective which is often translated as "Honduran", and "tico" is a noun which is often translated as "Costa Rican". Learn more about the difference between "catracho" and "tico" below.
catracho(
kah
-
trah
-
choh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (colloquial) (of Honduran origin) (Central America)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
a. Honduran
¿Conoces una banda rock catracha que se llama Osmosis?Do you know a Honduran rock band called Osmosis?
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
2. (colloquial) (nationality) (Central America)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
a. Honduran man (masculine)
El catracho que vive en el segundo siempre pone la música a todo volumen.The Honduran man who lives on the second floor always plays music at full volume.
b. Honduran woman (feminine)
Así que acabaste casándote con una catracha.So, you ended up marrying a Honduran woman.
los catrachos
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
3. (pejorative) (nationality) (Central America)
An offensive word or phrase used to degrade a person or group of people based on race, gender, sexual preference, etc. (e.g., redneck).
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
a. Hondurans
Los catrachos son unos apasionados del futbol, y tienen una buena selección nacional.Hondurans are soccer lovers, and they have a good national team.
el tico, la tica(
tee
-
koh
)This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
1. (nationality) (Central America)
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
a. Costa Rican
En mi facultad hay muchos ticos y boricuas.At my school there are many Costa Ricans and Puerto Ricans.
Oscar Arias es el único tico en haber ganado el Premio Nobel.Oscar Arias is the only Costa Rican to have won the Nobel Prize.
An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
2. (of Costa Rican origin) (Central America)
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
a. Costa Rican
Keylor Navas es un futbolista tico, nacido en San José.Keylor Navas is a Costa Rican soccer player. He was born in San Jose.
