vocabulary & culture lesson #1

I have noticed something here that they never taught me in class: the use of the phrase "muy amable." It literally means "very nice." But when I was taught the word for nice, my teacher told me it was "simpatico,” a cognate for sympathetic. I suppose they are synomyms. But here, they use “muy amable.” All the time. Someone calls for Ben and he is not here; I suggest they call his cell phone. The response I get? “Gracias. Muy amable.” You stop by a vendor who is selling candied almonds, when he gives you your change, he says, “Muy amable.” It’s almost like a “so nice of you to help” or a “pleasure doing business with you.” When Ben and I saw a Capoeira exhibition at Village Recoleta, I let a young girl stand in front of me, “Muy amorosa,” (very loving). Same thing, but sweeter.

Anyway, I was telling Annemarie yesterday, every time I hear “muy amable” (which is multiple times a day,) I translate it in my head, but in Borat’s voice: “verry niiiiiice.”