Giving Compliments and Responding Naturally in Spanish

In this lesson, you will give short, specific compliments about an achievement, choice, or appearance and respond naturally. Compliments vary by relationship, region, personality, and context, so there is no single social rule for every speaker.

Compliment an achievement

— Good job!
— Very good!
— You have done a good job.
— Your presentation is very good.

For this lesson, — presentation is useful achievement vocabulary.

Compliment a choice

— I like your jacket.
— I love this choice.
— You have chosen a good restaurant.

For this lesson, — choice and — chosen are useful compliment words.

Compliment appearance or an item

— Your shirt is very pretty.
— Your drawing is very nice.
— That jacket looks very good on you.

For this lesson, — It looks very good on you is a useful compliment phrase.

Keep the compliment specific

A specific compliment tells the listener what you appreciate.

— I really like your drawing.

This is clearer than a vague positive word with no obvious referent.

Respond with thanks

— Thank you.
— Thank you very much.
— Thank you, that's kind of you.

For this lesson, — that's kind of you is a useful response phrase.

Add a short comment

Person A: — I like your jacket.

Person B: — Thank you. It is new.

Person A: — You have done a good job.

Person B: — Thank you very much. I have worked a lot.

A compliment is not the same as a question

Compare:

— I like your jacket. Compliment.
— Where did you buy your jacket? Information question.

The first can receive a short thank-you. The second requires information.

Compliment plus question

A speaker may combine both functions.

— I love your jacket. Where did you buy it?

A natural response should address both parts.

— Thank you. I bought it in a downtown store.

Choose the topic appropriately

A compliment about work, a visible item, or an accomplishment is often straightforward. Comments about a person's body, age, or other personal features may be welcome in some relationships and unwelcome in others.

Use context, relationship, and the other person's comfort rather than assuming one universal rule.

Do not force a long response

— Thank you can be completely natural.

Short conversation

Person A: — Good job! Your presentation is very good.

Person B: — Thank you very much.

Another conversation

Person A: — Your shirt is very pretty.

Person B: — Thank you, that's kind of you.

A practical compliment method

Choose a topic appropriate to the relationship and situation.
Make the compliment specific enough to understand.
Distinguish a compliment from an information question.
Respond with thanks or a brief comment.
If the speaker also asks a question, answer the question as well.
Do not assume one compliment style is universally appropriate across all Spanish-speaking communities.

From Compliments to Reflexive and Reciprocal Actions

You can now give a specific compliment and respond naturally without confusing praise with a request for information. The next lesson distinguishes actions people do to themselves from actions they do to each other.

Spanish phrases

¡Buen trabajo!

Good job!

¡Muy bien!

Very good!

Has hecho un buen trabajo.

You have done a good job.

Tu presentación está muy bien.

Your presentation is very good.

Me gusta tu chaqueta.

I like your jacket.

Me encanta esta elección.

I love this choice.

Has elegido un buen restaurante.

You have chosen a good restaurant.

Qué bonita es tu camisa.

Your shirt is very pretty.

Qué bonito es tu dibujo.

Your drawing is very nice.

Te queda muy bien esa chaqueta.

That jacket looks very good on you.

Me gusta mucho tu dibujo.

I really like your drawing.

Gracias.

Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much.

Gracias, qué amable.

Thank you, that's kind of you.

¿Dónde compraste tu chaqueta?

Where did you buy your jacket?

Me encanta tu chaqueta. ¿Dónde la compraste?

I love your jacket. Where did you buy it?

Gracias. La compré en una tienda del centro.

Thank you. I bought it at a store downtown.