A1 Expression 중립

How nice!

Expresses pleasure or approval.

Used to show that you find something pleasant or agreeable.

🌍

문화적 배경

British speakers often use 'How lovely!' as a slightly more enthusiastic or 'posh' version of 'How nice!'. It is a staple of polite middle-class conversation. Americans might use 'That's so nice!' more frequently than the 'How nice!' construction, which can sometimes sound a bit formal or old-fashioned in the US. In the South, 'How nice' can be used with a specific 'sweet' tone that might actually be masking a lack of interest, similar to 'Bless your heart.' In international business, 'How nice' is a 'safe' phrase. It is positive but not overly emotional, making it perfect for reacting to a client's personal news without being unprofessional.

💡

The 'Smile' Rule

Always say 'How nice!' with a slight smile. Because it is a 'mild' compliment, your facial expression does 50% of the work to show you are being genuine.

⚠️

Don't Overuse It

If you say 'How nice!' to every single sentence someone says, you will sound like a robot or someone who isn't really listening.

Used to show that you find something pleasant or agreeable.

💡

The 'Smile' Rule

Always say 'How nice!' with a slight smile. Because it is a 'mild' compliment, your facial expression does 50% of the work to show you are being genuine.

⚠️

Don't Overuse It

If you say 'How nice!' to every single sentence someone says, you will sound like a robot or someone who isn't really listening.

🎯

Add 'of you'

To sound more fluent and grateful, use 'How nice of you!' whenever someone does something specifically for you.

셀프 테스트

Complete the reaction to the good news.

Friend: 'I found my lost keys!' You: 'Oh, ___ ___!'

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: How nice

We use 'How' + Adjective for exclamations. 'What' needs a noun, and 'is' is not used in the short form.

Choose the most natural response for a polite situation.

Stranger: 'You can have this seat, I am getting off at the next stop.' You: '___ ___ ___ ___! Thank you.'

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: How nice of you

'How nice of you' is the standard way to thank someone for a kind action.

Match the situation to the correct variation of the phrase.

Situation: Your sister tells you her children are doing well in school.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: How nice for them!

We use 'for [people]' when the good news is about someone else.

Which sentence is a correct exclamation?

Choose the correct one:

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: What a nice day!

When using a noun (day), we must use 'What a' instead of 'How'.

🎉 점수: /4

시각 학습 자료

How vs. What

How + Adjective
How nice! How nice!
How pretty! How pretty!
What a + Noun
What a nice day! What a nice day!
What a pretty flower! What a pretty flower!

연습 문제 은행

4 연습 문제
Complete the reaction to the good news. Fill Blank A1

Friend: 'I found my lost keys!' You: 'Oh, ___ ___!'

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: How nice

We use 'How' + Adjective for exclamations. 'What' needs a noun, and 'is' is not used in the short form.

Choose the most natural response for a polite situation. dialogue_completion A2

Stranger: 'You can have this seat, I am getting off at the next stop.' You: '___ ___ ___ ___! Thank you.'

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: How nice of you

'How nice of you' is the standard way to thank someone for a kind action.

Match the situation to the correct variation of the phrase. situation_matching A2

Situation: Your sister tells you her children are doing well in school.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: How nice for them!

We use 'for [people]' when the good news is about someone else.

Which sentence is a correct exclamation? Choose B1

Choose the correct one:

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: What a nice day!

When using a noun (day), we must use 'What a' instead of 'How'.

🎉 점수: /4

자주 묻는 질문

10 질문

No, it is gender-neutral. However, in some cultures, men might prefer 'That's great' or 'Cool,' while 'How nice' can sound slightly more traditional or 'soft.'

Yes, but it will be sarcastic. If you say it while frowning, people will know you actually mean 'That's annoying.'

'How lovely' is more common in the UK and feels a bit more enthusiastic or 'warm' than 'How nice.'

It is 'How nice.' We use the adjective to describe the situation, not the adverb.

Yes, it's a great way to acknowledge a colleague's personal news (like a vacation) in a friendly way.

Yes, it is polite and professional enough for a superior.

It's used when the good thing happened to you, not the speaker. It shows they are happy for your luck.

It's better to say 'How delicious!' or 'This looks nice.' 'How nice!' about food usually refers to the presentation, not the taste.

A little bit, but it's still very common. Younger people might say 'That's so nice' or 'So nice!' instead.

In writing, yes, to show it's an exclamation and not a question.

관련 표현

🔗

How lovely!

similar

A warmer, slightly more formal version of 'How nice!'

🔗

That's nice.

similar

A statement of agreement or pleasure.

🔗

How sweet!

specialized form

Used for kind gestures or cute things.

🔗

Nice one!

informal alternative

Good job! / Well done!

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