Mae
Dude, mate — the word young Costa Ricans put in every sentence, worn down from 'maje' (fool).
Related lesson: Costa Rican Spanish: A Survival Guide.
Hear it in context
Mae, ¿vamos o no vamos?
Mate, are we going or not?
Ese mae nunca contesta el teléfono.
That guy never answers his phone.
No sea mae, usted sabe que no fue así.
Don't be daft — you know that's not how it went.
What It Actually Means
Mae is Costa Rica’s all-purpose word for a person, and among under-forties it is the most frequent noun in the language. Mostly it is a vocative meaning nothing at all — the beat that separates clauses. With the article (ese mae) it means “that bloke”, and in no sea mae it reverts to its older sense, “idiot”.
Where It Comes From
From maje, a Central American word for a fool or a dupe, with the j eroded away in fast speech. The full form survives across the isthmus, and in Nicaragua and El Salvador maje still carries more of the original sting than tico mae does. It is the same journey Mexico’s güey made from buey (“ox”) and Chile’s weón made from huevón: an insult sanded down by constant friendly use until it means “you”.
How Natives Use It
Several times a sentence, in conversation and messaging, by men and — increasingly and without comment — by women. It sits at either end of the clause (mae, ya vengo / ya vengo, mae) and combines with everything: diay mae, pura vida mae, qué tuanis mae. Written down it stays mae; there is no cute respelling the way Mexico has wey.
Common Pitfall
It is generational and it is low register. Older Costa Ricans still hear the maje underneath it, and using it with your partner’s parents, a police officer or anyone behind a counter reads as either cheeky or badly brought up. The tell that you have the register right is the pronoun: friends who mae each other are usually still saying usted.