Compliment - Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The Word “Compliment”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages

The word “compliment” is commonly used in both everyday and formal language to express praise, admiration, or respect for someone or something. It has multiple uses and meanings, often revolving around showing appreciation or positive recognition. In this article, we will explore the meanings and different uses of the word “compliment” and provide translations across 30 languages to see how this positive expression is conveyed around the world.

Meaning and Usage of “Compliment”

Praise or Admiration
The most common use of “compliment” is when someone expresses praise or admiration toward someone else. This can be related to appearance, behavior, achievements, or other positive qualities.
- Example: “She received many compliments on her new dress.”
  (In this case, “compliments” refers to the praise she received for her dress.)
A Polite Expression of Praise
A “compliment” can also be a more formal or polite remark that highlights someone’s good qualities or achievements.
- Example: “He complimented her on her excellent presentation.”
  (Here, “complimented” means to offer a polite remark recognizing her presentation skills.)
Complementary Relationship (Grammar and Philosophy)
In a more specific context, the word “compliment” can also refer to something that completes or enhances something else. This is often used in grammar or philosophy, such as in discussions about complementary pairs.
- Example: “The wine complemented the meal perfectly.”
  (In this context, “complemented” refers to two things that go well together, making each other better.)
Formal or Social Gesture
In social settings, offering a “compliment” is a way of acknowledging someone’s achievements, talents, or characteristics in a positive, appreciative way. Compliments are common in conversations and are often used to build rapport.
- Example: “He gave her a compliment about her painting skills.”
  (Here, “compliment” is used as a form of positive recognition for someone’s talent.)

Translations of the Word “Compliment” in 30 Languages

Below is a table showing the translation of the word “compliment” in 30 different languages, along with example sentences in each language.

Language	Translation	Example Sentence (in the target language)	English Translation of Example
English	Compliment	“She received many compliments on her new dress.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Spanish	Cumplido	“Ella recibió muchos cumplidos por su nuevo vestido.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
French	Compliment	“Elle a reçu de nombreux compliments sur sa nouvelle robe.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
German	Kompliment	“Sie erhielt viele Komplimente für ihr neues Kleid.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Italian	Complimento	“Ha ricevuto molti complimenti per il suo nuovo vestito.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Portuguese	Elogio	“Ela recebeu muitos elogios pelo seu vestido novo.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Russian	Комплимент (Kompliment)	“Она получила много комплиментов за свое новое платье.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Chinese (Simplified)	赞美 (Zànměi)	“她收到了很多人对她新裙子的赞美。”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Japanese	褒め言葉 (Homekotoba)	“彼女は新しいドレスについて多くの褒め言葉をもらった。”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Korean	칭찬 (Chingchan)	“그녀는 새로운 드레스에 대해 많은 칭찬을 받았다.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Hindi	प्रशंसा (Prashansa)	“उसे अपनी नई ड्रेस पर बहुत प्रशंसा मिली।”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Bengali	প্রশংসা (Proshongsha)	“তাঁকে তাঁর নতুন পোশাকের জন্য অনেক প্রশংসা মিলেছে।”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Urdu	تعریفی کلمہ (Tareefi Kalam)	“اسے اپنی نئی ڈریس پر بہت ساری تعریفی کلمات ملے۔”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Turkish	İlgi	“Yeni elbisesi hakkında birçok iltifat aldı.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Dutch	Compliment	“Ze ontving veel complimenten over haar nieuwe jurk.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Greek	Συγχαρητήρια (Syncharitiria)	“Έλαβε πολλά συγχαρητήρια για το καινούριο της φόρεμα.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Swedish	Komplimang	“Hon fick många komplimanger om hennes nya klänning.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Danish	Kompliment	“Hun modtog mange komplimenter for sin nye kjole.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Finnish	Kehuminen	“Hän sai monia kehuja uudesta mekostaan.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Norwegian	Kompliment	“Hun mottok mange komplimenter for sin nye kjole.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Polish	Komplement	“Ona otrzymała wiele komplementów za swoją nową sukienkę.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Czech	Kompliment	“Dostala mnoho komplimentů na její novou sukni.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Hungarian	Dicséret	“Sok dicséretet kapott az új ruhájáért.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Hebrew	מחמאה (Machma’a)	“היא קיבלה הרבה מחמאות על השמלה החדשה שלה.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Thai	ชม (Chom)	“เธอได้รับคำชมมากมายเกี่ยวกับชุดใหม่ของเธอ”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Vietnamese	Khen ngợi	“Cô ấy nhận được nhiều lời khen về chiếc váy mới của mình.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Indonesian	Pujian	“Dia menerima banyak pujian tentang gaun barunya.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Filipino	Papuri	“Maraming papuri ang natanggap niya tungkol sa kanyang bagong damit.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Malay	Pujian	“Dia menerima banyak pujian tentang gaun barunya.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Swahili	Pongezi	“Alipokea pongezi nyingi kuhusu mavazi yake mapya.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)
Arabic	مجاملة (Mujamala)	“لقد تلقت العديد من المجاملات على فستانها الجديد.”	(She received many compliments on her new dress.)

The word “compliment” is an important expression of appreciation and positive recognition. It can be used in a variety of contexts, from casual social interactions to more formal exchanges, and serves as a way of acknowledging someone’s good qualities or achievements.

By examining how “compliment” is translated across 30 different languages, we can see that the concept of offering praise or admiration is universal. Different cultures express compliments in unique ways, but the sentiment of positivity and respect remains consistent.