20 phrases for giving good compliments

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.