Signification
Saying something nice to someone.
Contexte culturel
Complimenting the host's home or food is considered a sign of 'buona educazione' (good upbringing). Failing to do so might be seen as cold. In some traditional contexts, excessive compliments are followed by small gestures to ward off the 'malocchio' (evil eye), just in case. Compliments are often used to 'soften' a professional environment, which can otherwise be quite hierarchical. Italian 'galanteria' (gallantry) often involves frequent, sincere compliments about a partner's elegance or intelligence.
Be Specific
Instead of just saying 'Bello!', try 'Ti volevo fare un complimento per...'. It sounds much more fluent and sincere.
Don't overdo it
Too many compliments can be seen as 'piaggeria' (sycophancy). Keep it balanced!
Signification
Saying something nice to someone.
Be Specific
Instead of just saying 'Bello!', try 'Ti volevo fare un complimento per...'. It sounds much more fluent and sincere.
Don't overdo it
Too many compliments can be seen as 'piaggeria' (sycophancy). Keep it balanced!
The 'Ti volevo' trick
Starting with 'Ti volevo fare un complimento...' (I wanted to give you a compliment) makes the praise feel more thoughtful and less abrupt.
Accepting Praise
When you receive a compliment, a simple 'Grazie, gentilissimo/a' is the perfect response.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'fare'.
Ieri io ________ un complimento a Marco per il suo nuovo lavoro.
The sentence refers to 'ieri' (yesterday), so we need the passato prossimo 'ho fatto'.
Which preposition is used to introduce the person receiving the compliment?
Faccio un complimento ____ Maria.
In Italian, you 'fai un complimento A qualcuno'.
Choose the most natural response to the compliment.
A: 'Volevo farti un complimento, sei bravissima a suonare il piano!' B: '_________________'
This is the standard, polite way to accept a compliment in Italian.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
Situation: You are at a restaurant and the food was amazing.
You compliment the person responsible for the good experience (the chef).
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Singular vs. Plural
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesIeri io ________ un complimento a Marco per il suo nuovo lavoro.
The sentence refers to 'ieri' (yesterday), so we need the passato prossimo 'ho fatto'.
Faccio un complimento ____ Maria.
In Italian, you 'fai un complimento A qualcuno'.
A: 'Volevo farti un complimento, sei bravissima a suonare il piano!' B: '_________________'
This is the standard, polite way to accept a compliment in Italian.
Situation: You are at a restaurant and the food was amazing.
You compliment the person responsible for the good experience (the chef).
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt's grammatically understandable but sounds very 'foreign'. Italians almost exclusively use 'fare'.
Singular is for a specific nice comment. Plural is often used for congratulations or general praise for a job well done.
Yes, especially regarding style or a job well done (like a waiter or shop assistant), but keep it respectful.
The Italian expression is 'pescare complimenti' or 'andare a caccia di complimenti'.
It's neutral. You can use it with your best friend or your boss.
Use 'a' for the person and 'per' for the reason. 'Faccio un complimento A te PER la torta'.
No, you compliment people. You don't 'fare un complimento' to a painting, but you can to the artist.
You can say 'fare una sviolinata' if you're being jokingly over-the-top.
The phrase 'fare un complimento' doesn't change, but the adjectives you use later will (e.g., 'sei bello' vs 'sei bella').
It's a standard way to tell the waiter to tell the chef the food was great.
Expressions liées
Fare i complimenti
similarTo congratulate
Ricevere un complimento
contrastTo receive a compliment
Fare una sviolinata
specialized formTo flatter excessively
Adulare qualcuno
synonymTo flatter someone
Elogiare
similarTo praise
