Various ways to give compliments in Chinese

The basic uses in sentences

Structure 1: Subject + Adverb + Adjective

When you place the adverb directly before the adjective, it intensifies or modifies that adjective. The subject (a person, thing, or place) comes first, then the adverb, and then the adjective.

…很… (hěn)

“Very” – the most common and neutral intensifier in Chinese.

e.g.

你很漂亮！(Nǐ hěn piàoliang!) You are very beautiful!

这道菜很辣！(Zhè dào cài hěn là!) This dish is very spicy!

他们的演技很棒！(Tāmen de yǎnjì hěn bàng!) Their acting is really great!

…太… (tài)

“Too” – it indicates something is excessive in degree or amount.

e.g.

这件衣服太贵了！(Zhè jiàn yīfu tài guì le!) This piece of clothing is too expensive!

今天的作业太多了！(Jīntiān de zuòyè tài duō le!) Today’s homework is too much!

这个问题太难了！(Zhège wèntí tài nán le!) This question is too difficult!

…真… (zhēn)

“Really” – it expresses genuine or true feeling.

e.g.

你今天真漂亮！(Nǐ jīntiān zhēn piàoliang!) You look really beautiful today!

他真聪明！(Tā zhēn cōngmíng!) He’s really smart!

这里的咖啡真好喝！(Zhèlǐ de kāfēi zhēn hǎohē!) The coffee here is really delicious!

…好… (hǎo)

“So” – a slightly colloquial way to say “very” or “so,” conveying a subjective sense of surprise or intensity.

e.g.

这儿的风景好美！(Zhèr de fēngjǐng hǎo měi!) The scenery here is so beautiful!

你今天好精神！(Nǐ jīntiān hǎo jīngshén!) You look so energetic today!

那个电影好感人！(Nà gè diànyǐng hǎo gǎnrén!) That movie is so moving!

…相当… (xiāngdāng)

“Quite” – stronger than “很,” implies a fairly high degree.

e.g.

这道菜相当好吃！(Zhè dào cài xiāngdāng hǎochī!) This dish is quite delicious!

他相当幽默。(Tā xiāngdāng yōumò.) He’s quite humorous.

这部电影相当有意思。(Zhè bù diànyǐng xiāngdāng yǒuyìsi.) This movie is quite interesting.

…特别… (tèbié)

“Especially / particularly” – emphasizes that something stands out more than usual.

e.g.

他今天特别帅。(Tā jīntiān tèbié shuài.) He looks especially handsome today.

我觉得这道甜品特别好吃。(Wǒ juéde zhè dào tiánpǐn tèbié hǎochī.) I find this dessert especially tasty.

这个地方在晚上特别安静。(Zhège dìfang zài wǎnshàng tèbié ānjìng.) This place is particularly quiet at night.

…怎么那么… (zěnme nàme)

“Why so…?” – expresses surprise or amazement at how extreme something is.

e.g.

你怎么那么可爱。(Nǐ zěnme nàme kě’ài.) You are so cute.

今天天气怎么那么热。(Jīntiān tiānqì zěnme nàme rè.) It is so hot today.

他怎么那么客气。(Tā zěnme nàme kèqì.) He is so polite.

Structure 2: Subject + Adjective + Adverb

With these expressions, the adjective comes first, followed by the adverbial phrase.

…极了 (jí le)

“Extremely,” it’s placed right after the adjective.

e.g.

这个蛋糕好吃极了！(Zhège dàngāo hǎochī jí le!) This cake is extremely delicious!

那座山漂亮极了！(Nà zuò shān piàoliang jí le!) That mountain is extremely beautiful!’

你今天的表现精彩极了！(Nǐ jīntiān de biǎoxiàn jīngcǎi jí le!) Your performance today was extremely wonderful!

…得不得了 (de bùdéliǎo)

“Exceedingly” or “incredibly,” it creates a very strong emphasis on the adjective that precedes it.

e.g.

这个地方美得不得了！(Zhège dìfāng měi de bùdéliǎo!) This place is incredibly beautiful!

他开心得不得了！(Tā kāixīn de bùdéliǎo!) He’s unbelievably happy!

那位歌手唱得好听得不得了！(Nà wèi gēshǒu chàng de hǎotīng de bùdéliǎo!) That singer sounds unbelievably good!

The extended phrases to give compliments in Chinese

Just like in English, there are many different words in Chinese to express how good something is. These can be really useful in everyday life because they’re so versatile and easily fit into the structures we just learned. Let’s look at some examples and their English equivalents.

好	(hǎo)	Good
了不起	(liǎobùqǐ)	Amazing
厉害	(lìhài)	Awesome
棒	(bàng)	Great
了不得	(liǎobùdé)	Terrific
优秀	(yōuxiù)	Excellent
牛	(niú)	Awesome
完美	(wánměi)	Perfect

e.g.

您真了不起！(Nǐn zhēn liǎobùqǐ!) You are terrific!

你儿子好棒！(Nǐ érzi hǎo bàng!) Your son is great!

你太牛了，这么难的题都会做。(Nǐ tài niú le, zhème nán de tí dōu huì zuò.) You’re so awesome; you can even solve such difficult problems.

他们夫妻的知名度都是业内了不得的。(Tāmen fūqī de zhīmíngdù dōu shì yè nèi liǎobùdé de.) As a couple, their fame within the industry is truly outstanding.

Complimenting Someone’s Appearance

If you want to compliment someone’s physical appearance, you probably want to use adjectives that are more descriptive. Let’s go over some Chinese adjectives that you can use to tell someone how beautiful or handsome they look.

漂亮	(piàoliang)	Beautiful
好看	(hǎokàn)	Good looking
帅	(shuài)	handsome
酷	(kù)	Cool
可爱	(kě’ài)	Adorable
优雅	(yōuyǎ)	Elegant
有型	(yǒu xíng)	Stylish
美	(měi)	Gorgeous

e.g.

你的新发型太好看了！(Nǐ de xīn fǎxíng tài hǎokàn le!)
Your new hairstyle is so beautiful!

你好优雅啊！(Nǐ hǎo yōuyǎ a! )
You are so elegant!

你穿这身衣服美极了！(Nǐ chuān zhè shēn yīfu měi jíle!)
You look gorgeous in this dress!

你怎么那么有型！(Nǐ zěnme nàme yǒu xíng!)
Why are you so stylish!

Compliment Someone’s Personality or Behavior

While compliments related to physical appearance are nice to hear, compliments about a person’s personal character or work are equally important. Here are a few words you can use when you want to compliment someone’s personality:

乖	(guāi)	Well-behaved
聪明	(cōngmíng)	Clever
靠谱	(kào pǔ)	Reliable
有意思	(yǒuyìsi)	Interesting
精彩	(jīngcǎi)	Wonderful
干得漂亮	(Gàn de piàoliang!)	Good job!
做得好	(Zuò de hǎo)	Well done!
能干	(nénggàn)	Capable

e.g.

你女儿特别乖！(Nǐ nǚ’ér tèbié guāi!)
Your daughtaer is really well-behaved!

你真靠谱！(Nǐ zhēn kào pǔ!)
You are so reliable!

你的演讲精彩极了！(Nǐ de yǎnjiǎng jīngcǎi jíle!)
Your speech is wonderful!

你的想法很有意思！(Nǐ de xiǎngfǎ hěn yǒuyìsi!)
Your idea is very interesting!