
sergiogomez
/ Moderator
Apr 2, 2009, 10:51 AM
Post #9 of 10
(4920 views)
Shortcut
|
She was all smiles and loved to dance and at one point, she looked into my eyes and said, es mucho gusto conociendo ustedes porque son buena gente (she then grabbed my hand in both of hers and again looked me in the eyes again and said) eres firme.
In a situation like this, I take "eres firme" to mean something along the lines of eres sincero, and eres de confianza. Firme would be like firm, deep-rooted in your convictions. You can think of it as an explanation of why she says eres buena gente. You're a good person because she notices that you are firme (consistent, sincere) in what you say and do, and therefore de confianza (likeable, trustworthy). A deeply personal comment like eres firme, eres sincero, or eres de confianza is a true compliment coming from a Spanish speaker. Simply because it usually comes after a considerable amount of observing and reflecting on someone's actions, and coming to the conclusion that "yes, I really do like so-and-so because..." In other words, you probably won't hear a compliment like this after a brief first meeting. It's something that's hard to explain with words, but when you notice how Spanish speakers interact with you, you can see and hear the significance of a simple compliment like "You seem like a nice person." It's like finally noticing how some people widen their eyes when they see you and like you, and narrow their eyes when they see you and don't like you. Once you notice it, you never forget it.
|