Giving and Receiving Compliments

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31 January, 2019



All of these are examples of compliments – words of praise.


In today's program, we'll show you some common language Americans use to give compliments.


Let's break the discussion into three sections: appearance, abilities and possessions.


You may have already used some of these common language structures for praising someone's appearance. Others may be new. For example:

  • You are / look + adjective in "You are beautiful" and "You look great today!"
  • A closely related structure simply adds a noun in "You are a beautiful person"

In fact, this structure is also common for praising someone's abilities, as I will return to shortly.

Other common structures for complimenting appearance are:

  • I like / love + noun in "I love that bag!" and "I really like your hair."
  • And: What a + adjective + noun in "What a fun tie!" and "What a pretty dress!"

Listen to a short exchange:




We can also compliment someone's character, abilities or efforts.

Here's a structure you heard earlier:

  • You are + adjective + noun in "You are such a hard worker" and "You really are an amazing cook!"

Note that I added the words "such" and "really." These adverbs and others, like "very" and "so," can add strength to compliments.

  • Next is: You can really + verb in "Wow, you can really sing!"
  • You are great at + noun / gerund in "You're great at bringing people together" and "You're great at math."
  • And: You make a / an + adjective + noun in "You make a fine leader" and "You make a very loving partner."

Listen to a short exchange:

I'm meeting so many interesting people. Sam, you're great at bringing people together.

That's a nice thing to say. Thanks! And I'm glad you're here.


Americans also compliment people on their possessions, such as a person's home (or things inside the home), car, bike, electronics or countless other possessions. We might offer the compliment in any of these ways:

  • Nice + noun in "Nice bike!" and "Nice phone!"
  • I love / like your + noun in "I like your dining set" and "I love this painting."
  • Or: What a + adjective + noun in "What a beautiful home" or "What a beautiful home you have."

Listen to a short exchange:


Oh, thank you! For about three years now.

Receiving compliments

Some people may feel uneasy receiving attention and may deny the compliment in some way. But many receive them easily. A simple "Thank you" with a smile is a gracious way to answer a compliment.

You can also compliment in return by saying, "That's very kind of you" "How nice of you" or "What a nice thing to say."

Be sincere

Depending on the social customs where you live, some compliments may be not be received as such. And sometimes, they shouldn't be. People can make backhanded, inappropriate or insincere comments that they try to pass as compliments.

A "backhanded compliment" is one that may be meant or understood as an insult. Someone might say, for instance, "You look great. Wow, I didn't recognize you!" This can suggest that the compliment-giver thinks the person rarely looks great.

Other compliments are considered unacceptable. For example, in the U.S., it is often inappropriate to comment on physical appearance in the workplace. This is especially true when a man comments on a woman's appearance. But it is acceptable for people to compliment each other at work about work.



I'm Alice Bryant.




1 - Did you know that World Compliment Day is March 1, 2019? We celebrate by giving compliments to friends, coworkers, family and others. Who are some people you would like to give compliments to? Use the language you learned today to practice in the comments section. Here's my contribution: You are such a good listener! And your English is impressive.

2 - In American culture, if someone uses the expression, "You look like a million bucks," it is a very high compliment on physical appearance. It means you look amazing. ("Bucks" is an informal word for dollars.) What are some common expressions that are compliments in your culture?


Words in This Story


potn. a deep, round container that is used for cooking


charactern. the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves


graciousadj. very polite in a way that shows respect


insultn. to do or say something that is offensive to someone



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