When it comes to bringing good vibes and positive energy, there's nothing better than a nice compliment. In fact, we use compliments when we want to express respect, approval, or admiration for someone. With that being said, let's learn some easy ways to express compliments in Spanish.
First things first. There are various terms you can use for the word compliment in Spanish. The following are your options:
- Cumplido
- Elogio
- Halago
- Piropo
Keep in mind, however, that the word piropo is mostly used to indicate a short sentence that is concerned with the beauty of a woman:
En cambio vos no cambiaste nada;
On the other hand you haven't changed a bit;
estás más hermosa que nunca.
you're more beautiful than ever.
Caption 56, Yago - 11 Prisión
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Very often, compliments are preceded by some form of congratulations. Let's see that in action:
Los felicito, muchachos; eso está muy bien.
I congratulate you, kids; that's great.
Caption 36, Tu Voz Estéreo - Feliz Navidad
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Enhorabuena, Amaya... -Muchas gracias. -...por tu primera venta.
Congratulations, Amaya... -Thanks a lot. -...on your first sale.
Caption 77, Santuario para burros - Tienda solidaria
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Do you know how to say 'good job' in Spanish? Let's see how to express one of the most common compliments:
Te felicito; buen trabajo, ¿eh?
I congratulate you; good job, huh?
Caption 49, Muñeca Brava - 47 Esperanzas
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Debo admitir que hiciste un excelente trabajo, realmente.
I must admit that you did an excellent job, really.
Caption 4, Muñeca Brava - 33 El partido
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There are many ways to compliment a woman on her looks. Let's see some examples of compliments for women in Spanish:
Hola, guapa.
Hello, beautiful.
Caption 30, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 3
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Pasa. -Qué bonita que estás, ¿eh?
Come in. -How pretty you look, huh?
Caption 1, Yago - 12 Fianza
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Yo jamás dejaría plantada a una mujer tan guapa como esta.
I would never stand up a woman as beautiful as this one.
Caption 67, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capitulo 5
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The verb gustar (to like) is very useful when it comes to express compliments. Just like English, what you want to say is 'I like this of you':
Me gusta como sos. Me gusta tu pelo.
I like how you are. I like your hair.
Captions 80-81, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema
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You can also use similar verbs to express compliments in Spanish:
Es que me encanta cómo hablas.
It's just that I love the way you speak.
Caption 49, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 2
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¡Hey! Adoro tu caminar
Hey! I adore your walking
Caption 34, Huecco - Dame Vida
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There are lots of compliments you can use when you want to encourage someone. Teachers, for example, use these kinds of compliments often with their students:
Perfecto, chicos. Muy bien.
Perfect, guys. Very good.
Caption 57, Clase Aula Azul - El verbo parecer
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A very common way of expressing compliments in Spanish consists of using the word qué (what) followed by a positive word (most of the time an adjective):
¡Qué buen observador eres!
What a good observer you are!
Caption 30, Guillermina y Candelario - El Mar enamorado
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¡Pero qué lindo dibujito!
But what a nice little drawing!
¡Mateo, qué bien está dibujado, che!
Mateo, how well it's drawn, wow!
Captions 41-42, Yago - 4 El secreto
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Quiero que todo el mundo sea feliz y contento.
I want everyone to be happy and content.
¡Muy bien! Qué bonito, ¿mmm?
Very good! How nice, hmm?
Captions 34-35, Clase Aula Azul - Pedir deseos
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Sometimes, we can express compliments or flatter someone by saying good things about something that is connected to that person:
Ay, me encanta tu camiseta azul. Gracias.
Oh, I love your blue shirt. Thank you.
Captions 3-4, Español para principiantes - Los colores
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Si, si lo criaste vos, tiene que ser un buen pibe.
If, if you raised him, he must be a good kid.
Caption 33, Yago - 6 Mentiras
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And that's it for today. Try practicing some of these compliments in Spanish and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
¡Hasta la próxima!
Let's see a few examples to learn the proper use of the Spanish word falta, a false friend of the English word fault.
First of all, falta does mean "fault" in the context of sports:
El árbitro no vio la falta
The umpire didn't see the fault
The word falta in Spanish is also used in legal contexts. Una falta means "an offense" (the word ofensa also exists):
Que una misma persona cometiera distintas faltas de hurto.
That one person committed different robbery offenses.
Caption 49, Los Reporteros - Crecen los robos en tiendas
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Also, in academic or laboral contexts, una falta means "an absence." If you don't go to school tu maestro te pone falta (your teacher marks you absent). Generally speaking una falta means "a lack" or "a shortage" and the verb faltar means "to lack," "to need" or "to be absent." Study the following examples:
Me hace falta un aguacate que voy a hacer una ensalada, eh.
I need one avocado and I'll make a salad, uh.
Caption 43, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
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Hoy estamos protestando por la falta de agua.
Today we are protesting because of the water shortage.
Caption 49, Kikirikí - Agua - Part 2
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It's interesting the way Spanish uses the word falta in expressions of time:
¿Qué será? Que falta un mes para la boda, ¿eh?
What would it be? That there is a month until the wedding, huh?
Caption 27, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento
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You can also use the word falta with a pinch of sarcasm:
Lo único que me falta es que a los diez meses empiece a caminar...
The only thing I need now is that at ten months old she starts walking...
Caption 44, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro
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In fact, the expression lo único que me falta (or lo único que me faltaba) alone, also exists, and it's commonly used sarcastically:
¡Lo único que me falta!
Just what I needed!
Caption 5, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
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Check out the following use of falta combined with the verb hacer and negation. It's a very common way to express that something is not needed or necessary:
¡No hace falta un abogado!
A lawyer is not necessary!
Caption 81, Adícora - Venezuela - Darío y el Kitesurfing
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And, of course, you can use falta + hacer without negation:
Eres Lo que a mi vida le hace falta si no vienes
You are what my life lacks if you don't come
Captions 6-7, Café Tacuba - Eres
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Finally, a useful tip. How do you say in Spanish "It's your fault?" Unless you are playing soccer with your friends, you shouldn't say "es tu falta." For that, Spanish uses the word culpa (guilt, blame). It may sound really extreme and weird to say "it's your guilt" in English, but es tu culpa is common in Spanish:
Soy el hombre al que iban a enterrar vivo por tu culpa.
I am the man who they were going to bury alive because of you.
Caption 35, El Ausente - Acto 4
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You can use es tu culpa in the most trivial situations:
Por tu culpa perdimos el avión, querido.
It's your fault we missed the plane, dear.
Caption 16, Yago - 4 El secreto
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Finally, another use of the word falta is in the expression faltas de ortografía (orthographic mistakes). You can combine it with the verb tener (to have) as in el ensayo tiene muchas faltas de ortografía (the essay has many orthographic mistakes), or with the verb cometer (to commit, to make) as in tú cometes muchas faltas de ortografía (you make a lot of ortographic mistakes). Thank you for reading!
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