Giving a nice compliment can make someone’s day (= make the person feel very good, as a very positive point in their day). Here are some spoken English phrases for giving compliments in various situations. Listen to the phrases and repeat them to practice your English speaking:
Phrases for complimenting a person’s clothes / appearance
- You look nice.
- You look amazing!
This phrase is usually used for very special occasions, like when someone is dressed in especially elegant clothing for a formal banquet. - What a lovely necklace!
- I like your shirt – where did you get it?
- I love your shoes. Are they new?
- That color looks great on you. (or: You look great in blue)
- I like your new haircut.
Phrases for complimenting someone’s cooking
- The lasagna is delicious.
- This soup is very tasty.
tasty = delicious - You’re a fantastic cook.
- Did you make this from scratch?
“From scratch” means from basic/original ingredients, not using pre-prepared foods - You’ve got to give me the recipe for this chicken dish!
- The cherry pie is out of this world.
“Out of this world” means VERY good, incredible, wonderful - That was delicious. My compliments to the chef!
You can say this at the end of the meal. In this case, the “chef” is not referring to a professional, but instead to the person who cooked the food
Phrases for complimenting someone’s home
- What a nice apartment!
- You have a beautiful home.
- Where did you get that lovely table?
- I love the decor. Did you do it yourself?
The word “decor” refers to the interior decoration of the house or apartment.
Phrases for complimenting babies / children
- Oh, what an adorable face!
- He/she’s so cute!
Make sure you know if the baby is a boy or a girl before saying “he” or “she”! - Your children are very well-behaved.
- Your son/daughter is a smart cookie.
The idiom “a smart cookie” means someone who is intelligent and clever - Your kids are a lot of fun.
Formulas for Giving Compliments
Many compliments can be created by following one of these formulas:
1. Your + Noun Phrase + is/looks + (really) + Adjective
- Your dress is really elegant.
- Your hair looks great!
2. I + (really) + like/love + Noun Phrase
- I really like your earrings.
- I love this vegetable soup!
3. This/That + is + (really) + Adjective + Noun Phrase
- This is a really nice painting.
- That’s an awesome car.
4. What a/an + Adjective + Noun Phrase
- What a lovely apartment!
- What a cute puppy!
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