Spanish Compliments

Colombian Compliments

Spanish compliments are divided into two main categories: those on abilities (Hablas muy bien el español) and those on appearance (Ese corte de cabello te queda bien). The latter category includes a special kind of compliment commonly called piropos, or flirtatious remarks (Campo & Zuluaga, 2000).

Piropos are compliments issued by males with regard to a female’s physical appearance. The act of giving piropos is typical of Hispanic male behavior and socially accepted. Piropos are usually poetic, witty, and rehearsed verses; thus they can be considered as an art form (Campo & Zuluaga, 2000).

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References

Campo, E. & Zuluaga, J. (2000). Complimenting: A matter of cultural constraints. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 2(1), 27-41.