A compliment is never only a description: it offers approval and invites the other person to manage that attention. Greek speakers may accept it directly, soften the acceptance, return warmth, or play down the achievement. None of those responses is compulsory. The relationship, the topic, the speaker’s tone, and how lavish the praise sounds all affect what feels natural.
This page treats compliments as conversational exchanges. General reactions belong to emotional reactions, while achievement wishes belong to wishes and congratulations.
Complimenting appearance: τι… που…
The exclamatory frame Τι + adjective/adverb + που + clause! presents a quality as striking: Τι ωραία που είσαι! “How lovely you look!” The adjective agrees with the person described. It can praise someone’s appearance on a particular occasion without claiming that appearance is their only quality.
Τι ωραία που είσαι απόψε, Δανάη!
ti oréa pu íse apópse, Dhanái!
You look wonderful tonight, Danae! (informal)
Τι κομψός που είσαι με αυτό το σακάκι!
ti kompsós pu íse me aftó to sakáki!
How elegant you look in that jacket! (informal, to a man)
Τι όμορφα που στολίσατε τον χώρο· άλλαξε τελείως!
ti ómorfa pu stolísate ton chóro; álakse telíos!
You've decorated the space beautifully—it looks completely different! (polite or plural)
The last example uses adverb όμορφα to praise how an action was done, so it does not agree with a person. English “beautiful” can hide this distinction; Greek makes you choose between an agreeing adjective and an adverb.
Σου πάει: it suits you
Μου/σου/του/της/μας/σας/τους πάει means that a garment, colour, haircut, or style suits someone. The person is expressed by a genitive clitic, and the thing that suits them controls the singular or plural verb: το χρώμα σου πάει, but τα γυαλιά σου πάνε.
Σου πάει πολύ αυτό το πράσινο· φωτίζει το πρόσωπό σου.
su pái polí aftó to prásino; fotízi to prósopó su
That green really suits you; it brightens your face. (informal singular)
Σας πάνε πολύ τα καινούρια γυαλιά, κυρία Βλάχου.
sas páne polí ta kenúria yaliá, kiría Vláchu
Your new glasses suit you very well, Ms Vlachou. (formal)
Το νέο κούρεμα σου πάει· σου δίνει άλλον αέρα.
to néo kúrema su pái; su dhíni álon aéra
The new haircut suits you; it gives you a whole new look. (informal)
Praising an action: μπράβο
Μπράβο! is an invariable expression of praise: “well done!” Adding a genitive clitic identifies the person praised—μπράβο σου, μπράβο σας, μπράβο τους. A following για + accusative names the achievement. Tone ranges from warm approval to irony, so context matters.
Μπράβο σου που μίλησες ανοιχτά και ήρεμα στη συνάντηση.
brávo su pu mílises anichtá ke írema sti sinándisi
Well done for speaking openly and calmly at the meeting. (informal singular)
Μπράβο σας για την άψογη οργάνωση της εκδήλωσης.
brávo sas ya tin ápsoyi orghánosi tis ekdhílosis
Congratulations on the flawless organization of the event. (formal or plural)
Unlike συγχαρητήρια, which conventionally marks an achievement, μπράβο can also praise a small decision, an effort, or a child’s action. This page focuses on the praise-and-response move, not the wider inventory of interjections.
Accepting without sounding self-congratulatory
The safest response is ευχαριστώ. It accepts the other person’s kindness, not necessarily every grand claim implied by the compliment. Πολύ ευγενικό εκ μέρους σου/σας explicitly appreciates the gesture and suits more deliberate praise.
Το άρθρο σου ήταν εξαιρετικά καθαρό. — Ευχαριστώ, χαίρομαι που σου φάνηκε χρήσιμο.
to árthro su ítan ekseretiká katharó. — efcharistó, chérome pu su fánike chrísimo
Your article was exceptionally clear. — Thank you; I'm glad you found it useful.
Η ομιλία σας ήταν πραγματικά εμπνευσμένη. — Σας ευχαριστώ, πολύ ευγενικό εκ μέρους σας.
i omilía sas ítan praghmatiká ebnefzméni. — sas efcharistó, polí evyenikó ek mérus sas
Your talk was truly inspiring. — Thank you; that's very kind of you. (formal)
Να ’σαι καλά (informal) or να είστε καλά (formal) returns warmth: literally a wish that the giver be well. It can follow thanks, replace them in a warm exchange, or acknowledge practical help.
Έκανες καταπληκτική δουλειά με τις φωτογραφίες. — Να ’σαι καλά, χάρηκα πολύ που σου άρεσαν.
ékanes katapliktikí dhuliá me tis fotoghrafíes. — na ’se kalá, chárika polí pu su áresan
You did an amazing job with the photos. — Thanks, I'm really glad you liked them. (informal)
Downplaying and deflecting
Responses such as Σιγά, τίποτα σπουδαίο, and έλα τώρα reduce the size of the praised action. With a smile and continued engagement, they can express modesty or ease. With flat intonation, they may reject the compliment or signal discomfort. There is no rule that a Greek compliment must be refused before it can be accepted.
Έσωσες όλη την κατάσταση σήμερα! — Σιγά, όλοι βοηθήσαμε.
ésoses óli tin katástasi símera! — sighá, óli voithísame
You saved the whole situation today! — Oh, come on; we all helped. (informal, modest deflection)
Το γλυκό σου έγινε υπέροχο. — Τίποτα σπουδαίο, μια απλή συνταγή είναι.
to ghlikó su éyine ipérocho. — típota spudhéo, mia aplí sindayí íne
Your dessert turned out wonderful. — Nothing special; it's a simple recipe. (informal, downplaying)
Returning warmth without competing
When the same quality genuinely applies to the other person, a counter-compliment can be natural. Και σε σένα returns a wish more readily than a descriptive compliment; after praise, a specific response usually sounds warmer than an automatic “you too.”
Σου εύχομαι κάθε επιτυχία στη νέα αρχή. — Ευχαριστώ, και σε σένα ό,τι καλύτερο!
su éfchome káthe epitichía sti néa archí. — efcharistó, ke se séna ó,ti kalítero!
I wish you every success in your new beginning. — Thank you, and all the best to you too!
Είσαι πάντα τόσο υπομονετική μαζί μας. — Ευχαριστώ· κι εσύ κάνεις τα πράγματα εύκολα.
íse pánda tóso ipomonetikí mazí mas. — efcharistó; ki esí kánis ta prághmata éfkola
You're always so patient with us. — Thank you; you make things easy too. (informal)
Common Mistakes
Translating “it suits you” with a full prepositional phrase
Neutral Greek normally uses the genitive clitic before πάει/πάνε.
✅ Σου πάνε πολύ αυτά τα χρώματα.
su páne polí aftá ta chrómata
These colours suit you very well. (informal singular)
Making μπράβο agree
Μπράβο never changes for gender or number. The clitic identifies who receives the praise.
✅ Μπράβο τους που τελείωσαν το έργο στην ώρα του.
brávo tus pu telíosan to érgho stin óra tu
Well done to them for finishing the project on time.
Treating modest deflection as obligatory
A direct thank-you is complete and often the most gracious response.
✅ Τι όμορφη φωνή που έχεις! — Ευχαριστώ πολύ!
ti ómorfi foní pu échis! — efcharistó polí!
What a beautiful voice you have! — Thank you very much!
Returning every compliment word for word
Reciprocate only when it is sincere and relevant; otherwise acknowledge the giver.
✅ Σας ευχαριστώ που το λέτε· το εκτιμώ πολύ.
sas efcharistó pu to léte; to ektimó polí
Thank you for saying that; I really appreciate it. (formal)
Key Takeaways
- Use agreeing adjectives in Τι ωραία/κομψός που είσαι!, but an adverb to praise how something was done.
- In σου πάει, the person is a genitive clitic; a plural subject gives σου πάνε.
- Μπράβο is invariable and can praise effort as well as a completed achievement.
- Thanks, warm counter-wishes, and modest deflection are flexible responses—not mandatory stages of one ritual.
Related Topics
- Wishes and CongratulationsA2 — Choose the Greek wish that fits a birthday, name day, achievement, illness, journey, meal, toast, or recurring celebration—and reply naturally.
- Agreeing and DisagreeingB1 — Express alignment and disagreement in Greek while controlling directness, scope, and interpersonal force.
- Expressing Emotions and ReactionsA2 — Build natural Greek reaction moves for joy, surprise, annoyance, sympathy, relief, and enthusiasm, including the follow-up each response invites.