How To Compliment Someone In Russian

Gift-giving is a big love language in Russian culture, but words of affirmation still matter.
man giving bouquet of flowers to smiling short old woman compliments in russian

Depending on the culture you’re talking about, certain types of love languages might play a bigger role than others. In Russia, for example, giving gifts is a big part of social customs, and you wouldn’t want to visit someone’s home without bringing some flowers, chocolate, dessert or a nice bottle of wine or liquor. It’s still important to know how to tell people something nice about themselves once in awhile, however. Learning how to give compliments in Russian should be a cornerstone of any Russian language–learning journey.

Below, you’ll find a few common examples of compliments in Russian, together with audio pronunciation voiced by a native speaker.

Note that in many of these examples, the verbs and adjectives are conjugated to imply that the giver and/or the recipient of the compliment is male or female, and the use of formal versus informal “you” should also be taken into account before you repeat these word-for-word in a real-life situation.

Compliments In Russian

I love your sense of humor! — Мне нравится твоё чувство юмора!

I appreciate your honesty. — Я ценю твою честность.

You are so considerate! — Ты такой внимательный!

I like you. — Ты мне нравишься.

Your cooking is so delicious! — Ты так вкусно готовишь!

You are very beautiful. — Ты очень красивая.

You look very beautiful. — Ты очень красиво выглядишь!

You dance great! — Ты классно танцуешь!

I mean it as a compliment! — Это вообще-то был комплимент!

Very kind, thank you very much! — Очень мило, спасибо большое!

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