A Comparison of Chinese and English Compliments

Abstract

It is particularly known that more interactions of people all around the world are on more broader level with the development of society. People are able to exchange their ideas or positive feelings with each other with different languages. We know that the language carries the culture, and different cultures will cause the speech act expressed with the different ways. Therefore, as a speech act, compliments in various languages are also covered by the cultures all over the world. Duo to the differences of cultural background, the customary culture and factors of cultural judgement vary from nations, so that people should pay more attention to the ways of compliments and responds. Compliment has its specific meaning and functions both in Chinese and English, as well as other languages. However, language environment is too important to be without for compliment and the expression of compliment response also varies from different cultural context. In addition, people have various emphasis when they compliment others, Sometimes, not all compliments will be considered to be a praise, if the compliments aren’t expressed in proper ways, the recipients may feel ill at ease, even irritated. In order to use the compliments in appropriate ways and make responds properly to attain expected effects, the author is mainly to make comparison between Chinese and English compliments. The comparison contains complimentary contents, such as appearance, weight, friendship and possession, response patterns and characteristics of Chinese and English compliment responses. The author also wants to mater the skills of appropriate compliment expression by contrasting Chinese and English compliment on some aspects.