35 Compliments in Mandarin Chinese (and how to respond)

A common occurrence in China is the back-and-forth of flattery and humbleness.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been told how great my Mandarin Chinese is (even back when I was a complete beginner), and how often I’ve replied, ‘No it’s not, but thanks.’

This situation described above is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to complimenting culture in China.

So, why not join in the fun and spread some admiration and praise and use the following compliments in Mandarin Chinese!

你很漂亮 nǐ hěn piàoliang – ‘You are beautiful‘

This is is definitely the most popular complement that you’ll hear in China, and this comes as no surprise in a country that’s obsessed with appearance.

China doesn’t have the same level of focus on political correctness as many western countries, so complimenting ones appearance is still quite common.

It’s important to remember that although it’s still used quite a lot here, you’re best off using it with caution to avoid looking like a creep.

If you’re a girl, you can say it as much as you like.

Bear in mind, this compliment is almost always directed at women. In English, if a guy is super hot, we can say ‘he’s beautiful’, but in Chinese, this sounds really weird.

美女 (měinǚ) – ‘pretty girl’
帅哥 (shuàigē) – ‘handsome boy’

Both of the above terms are used frequently when calling out to service staff in restaurants in other places.

Love it or hate it, a lot of compliments in China are going to be based on appearance.

English	Chinese	Pinyin
You’re really pretty.	你好美哦。	Nǐ hǎoměi ó
You’re so beautiful.	你真漂亮。	Nǐ zhēn piàoliang
You’re so handsome.	你好帅。	Nǐ hǎo shuài
You dressed up nicely today.	今天你打扮这么好看啊。	Jīntiān nǐ dǎbàn zhème hǎokàn
You look great in those clothes.	穿衣服真配你。	chuān yī fú zhēn pèi nǐ

你太棒了 nǐ tài bàng le – ‘You are awesome!’

This specific phrase is best when you want to compliment someone on their achievements or skills.

For example, if one of your friends manages to get their dream job or eat 30 pots of yoghurt in less than 1 minute, then you can use this term to tell them that they are awesome.

你很厉害 – Nǐ hěn lìhài – ‘You’re great!’

A very common compliment for someone doing anything great. It basically carries the same meaning as the above, but I’d say it’s more common.

你真牛逼 nǐ zhēn niú bī – ‘You are freaking awesome’

This phrase can be used as a colloquial way to express your amazement or excitement over something specific that someone is able to do.

However, be careful with this one, as 牛逼 (niú bī) actually means ‘cow’s vagina’. Play it safe and use it with a younger crowd and definitely not in a professional setting.

When you visit your partner’s hometown in some rural Chinese village, try not to tell your grandfather-in-law that his chicken coup is totally ‘cow’s vagina’.

你对我真好 nǐ duì wǒ zhēn hǎo – ‘You are so good (or nice) to me!’

This is a good one to use if a friend or someone close to you has helped you out and showed they really care about you.

Try not to say it to the taxi driver or the street cleaner… actually, you can! They’ll either be delighted or really weirded out.

你很聪明 nǐ hěn cōngmíng – ‘You are so smart’

Another useful compliment in Chinese that you can use to praise someone for their idea or cleverness.

This can be used when a friend or a relative of yours has passed a difficult exam or has come up with a great idea about something.

呢很幽默 nǐ hěn yōumò – You are funny‘

This term is perfect to use when someone has made you laugh and you wish to compliment them on their sense of humor. It’s also great to praise someone who is witty and/or extremely good at telling jokes.

你说的很流利 nǐ shuō dé hěn liúlì – ‘You speak very fluently’

Like I said at the beginning of this post, a lot of Chinese people love to compliment you on your Chinese, no matter how bad it is.

People in China are very forthcoming, and they notice and praise when someone has made an effort with the language.

我好喜欢你 wǒ hǎo xǐ hun nǐ – ‘I really like you’

This compliment actually has some romantic undertones so it really depends on the situation.

It can be used mostly as a friendly complement to someone that makes you feel good or someone whose character is of your liking.

If used to compliment someone that you like (for example a crush or stranger), they might get flirtatious vibes and a different meaning of it.

这真的很好吃 Zhè zhēn de hěn hào chī – ‘This is really tasty!’

Food is a very big part of Chinese culture. if you’re in China for long enough and you make a few local friends, it’s only a matter of time before you’re invited for dinner.

Complimenting someone on their food is a definite yes-yes.

The above compliments are the most commonly heard here in China, but there are loads more you could go with.

Check out the following table for ideas and inspiration.

Once you’re feeling more confident in your abilities, you can get creative!

You did very well	你做的很好。	Nǐ zuò de hěn hǎo
You are the most perfect in my heart.	你在我心中是最完美的。	Nǐ zài wǒ xīnzhōng shì zuì wánměi de
You look energetic (or lively) today.	你今天看起来超有精神的。	nǐ jīn tin kàn qǐ lái cho yǒu jīng shén de
You dressed up nicely today.	今天你打扮这么好看啊。	Jīntiān nǐ dǎbàn zhème hǎokàn a!
You’re very talented!	你很有天赋!	Nǐ hěn yǒu tiānfù!
Great job!	干得好!	Gàn de hǎo !
You’re so cute!	你真可爱！	Nǐ zhēn kě’ài!
You’re really cool!	你真苦！	Nǐ zhēn kù!
You’re very passionate.	你很热情。	Nǐ hěn rèqíng
You’re really easy going.	你真的很随和。	Nǐ zhēn de hěn suíhe
Your CV/resume is impressive.	你的简历令人印象深刻。	nǐ de jiǎnlìlìngrén yìnxiàng shēnkè
You are even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside.	你的内在比外表更美。	nǐ de nèizài bǐ wàibiǎo gèng měi
You make me want to become a better person.	你让我想成为一个更好的人。	nǐ ràng wǒ xiǎng chéngwéi yī ge gènghǎo de rén
That jacket looks great when you wear it.	那件夹克你穿上后看起来很好。	nà jiàn jiākè nǐ chuān shàng hòu kàn qǐlái hěn hǎo
You are a very good friend.	你是一个很棒的朋友。	nǐ shì yī ge hěn bàng de péngyou
Your smile is very beautiful.	你的微笑很漂亮。	nǐ de wēixiào hěn piàoliang
Your taste is very good.	你的品味很高。	nǐ de pǐnwèi hěn gāo
You have a way with words.	你很会说话。	nǐ hěn huì shuōhuà

Receiving Compliments

When you receive a compliment in Chinese, there are a few ways you can respond. You can either:

Act surprised.
Act all cool and try and brush it off.
Reciprocate.

Some of the most commonly used answers to compliments are:

真的吗? (zhēn de ma?) – ‘Really?’
是吗? (shì ma?) – ‘Is it?’
还行吧 (hái xíng ba) – ‘It’s okay, I guess.’

Here are some of the most useful phrases that you can use when you have received a compliment:

Really?	真的吗？	zhēnde ma?
Is it?	是吗?	Shì ma?
No, it’s not.	不行吧。	bùxíng ba
You are, too.	你也是。	nǐ yěshì
Thanks to you…	多亏你。	duōkuī nǐ
I’m just OK/So-so.	一般一般。	yībān yībān
You are too kind (direct translation is ‘where? where?’	哪里哪里?	nǎlǐ nǎlǐ?
I don’t deserve your praise.	不敢当。	bùgǎndāng
You’re too polite.	你太客气。	nǐ tài kèqì
You’re flattering me.	你过奖了。	nǐ guò jiǎngle
I’m not that awesome.	没有那么厉害。	méiyǒu nàme lìhài
It’s still not good enough.	我还不够好。	hái bùgòu hǎo
You’re still better than me.	还是你比我好。	háishì nǐ bǐ wǒ hǎo
My friend helped me.	我朋友帮了我。	Wǒ péngyǒu bāngle wǒ
It’s because my teacher is good.	是我老师教的好。	shì wǒ lǎoshī jiào de hǎo