So, you’ve made it to Costa Rica and you’re there for a long-term stay. You’ve probably studied Spanish or are studying it now and you’ve started practicing with your new Costa Rican friends.
Hopefully, you’ve made plenty of new acquaintances. And now, almost every time you see them, they greet you with a smile and sometimes, “Diay!” You smile and exchange pleasantries, but don’t really understand what “diay” means or when it started. It rhymes with “Hi” so you’ve just gone along with it.
What is this greeting?
Diay Means Hello!
If anything, diay sure sounds cheerful! It’s pronounced “dee-EYE” and it seems to naturally fit it!
Diay, is sort of a hello, hi, I’m glad to see you all rolled into one. It’s a very pleasant greeting usually used between friends and loved ones. Soon enough, you’ll be “diay-ing” to everybody as well.
There’s also several variations: “dee-YAY” is sometimes used, as well as “Diay que” as a “how are you” greeting commonly used among guys.
Diay Means, What’s Going on Here?
Diay can be used for more than a hello. It’s one of the multi-purpose words that has many meanings depending on the situation.
“Diay” can also be used to call you out on something that perhaps isn’t quite on par. Such as “diay, why did you do this?” Or, “diay, you forgot our meeting?” In that use, it’s almost used as a gentle wake-up call. Diay—get your act together.
Diay, As a Conjunction
Diay can also be used as a conjunction, or a filler word. If you speak French or have ever studied French, this word could be compared to “donc”, or “mais oui”.
For example, “I mean to get my Spanish homework done last night, but diay, I don’t know, I got involved in Netflix instead.”
The Tone Will Tell You
Diay can be used in many instances, but all in all, the tone (not to mention the look on your friends’ faces) should tell you the way it’s being used. It’s rarely used in an instance when someone’s really upset, but if it is, you’ll know it when you hear it!
This is cute! Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome, thanks for reading!
Thanks for the article. This is one of these “filler” words that we use unconsciously every day. Do you have a word like this in American English?
I can’t really think of a filler word similar to diay, unless it would be “so”, “um”, “well”, or “yup”. Diay is definitely a cool word, and I love it because it’s so Costa Rican.