“Pretty” in Japanese: How to Give a Compliment in Japanese

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Wondering how to tell someone they look “pretty” in Japanese? I’ll show you how, and explain how the wording changes with the context and your relationship.

Besides telling you how to say “pretty” in Japanese, I’ll explain how to give and receive compliments. I’ll also link to several of our other Japanese articles to help with any cultural or language insights related to the topic. So make sure to check them out, too!

How to Say “Pretty” in Japanese

A common word for “pretty” or “beautiful” is きれい (kirei). Before a noun, it becomes きれいな (kirei na).

As this guide to na-adjectives explains, use きれいな before a noun, but きれいです (kirei desu) when it ends a polite sentence.

So if you want to know how to say “you are pretty” in Japanese, you could simply say きれいです (kirei desu).

You can make the compliment more explicit by adding the person’s name, as in (name)-さんはきれいです ((name)-san wa kirei desu). In many conversations, though, the subject is clear and can be left out.

In casual situations, it’s also fine to say only きれい！

For “a pretty woman”, you can say きれいな女性 (kirei na josei). For a young girl, 可愛い女の子 (kawaii onna no ko) can be more natural, depending on the context. I’ll explain 可愛い in a moment.

きれい can also mean “clean”, so context matters. It can describe people of any gender, as well as a clean room or tidy space.

“Beautiful” in Japanese

If you want to tell someone they’re “beautiful” in Japanese, the most common word would still be きれい (kirei).

But there are two other words we could use: 美しい (utsukushii) and 素敵な (suteki na).

美しい (utsukushii) is used mainly to describe something beautiful in nature, like a beautiful cherry blossom tree or ocean view.

It can describe a person too, but it sounds stronger and more literary than きれい, so the setting matters.

In contrast, 素敵な (suteki na) can have several meanings, such as “nice”, “great”, “splendid”, “lovely”, “beautiful”, “cool”, “dreamy”… You get the idea.

素敵な (suteki na) is usually used in reaction to seeing or hearing something lovely. So when you see a friend who is wearing a beautiful new dress, you can say, “素敵！” (Just like きれい, you can drop the “na” in casual situations.)

When you’re reacting to someone’s appearance or clothing, 素敵 (suteki) often sounds more conversational than 美しい (utsukushii).

That said, you could tell someone they have a beautiful smile (美しい笑顔, utsukushii egao) or beautiful face (美しい顔, utsukushii kao). Still, don’t overuse it.

And if you’re wondering, “beauty” in Japanese is 美しさ (utsukushisa).

You may also see 美少女 (bishoujo, “beautiful girl”) and 美少年 (bishounen, “beautiful boy”), especially in anime and related media. In everyday conversation, 美人 (bijin) commonly describes a beautiful woman, though the best word still depends on context.

“Handsome” in Japanese

かっこいい (kakkoii) can mean “cool”, “good-looking” or “handsome”. It’s often used about men, but the word itself isn’t restricted to one gender.

You can also use the loan word ハンサム (hansamu), or イケメン (ikemen) which is a slang term meaning “good looking.” It’s a Japanese portmanteau of イケてる (iketeru, “cool”) and メンズ (menzu, “men”).

ハンサム and イケメン are often used when talking about someone, especially a celebrity or idol. Whether they work as a direct compliment depends on your relationship and tone.

You might say to a friend, 松本 潤はイケメンね (Matsumoto Jun wa ikemen ne), “Jun Matsumoto is good-looking, right?”

As a direct compliment, イケメン can sound playful or forward, so it isn’t always the safest neutral choice.

Another way to compliment a man (or a woman for that matter), is to use 似合ってる (niatteru).

You could tell someone 似合ってるよ (niatteru yo), which means “that suits you” or “that looks good on you”. It’s a natural way to compliment a new outfit or accessory.

“Cute” in Japanese

To tell someone they’re cute in Japanese, you’d say 可愛い (kawaii).

In English, “cute” can sometimes sound condescending when it’s used about an adult. 可愛い is often positive in Japanese, and kawaii culture is highly visible, but the word’s tone still depends on the person, relationship and situation.

It can describe someone’s appearance or personality, as well as clothes, animals and objects.

可愛い can be used for people of any gender, though whether it feels natural depends on the speaker and context.

“Lovely” in Japanese

If you want to say something or someone is “lovely” in Japanese, use 素晴らしい (subarashii).

素晴らしい has several meanings and uses, such as “splendid”, “wonderful”, “amazing” and “magnificent.” But it can also mean that something is pleasant and lovely.

“Attractive” in Japanese

This word isn’t as common as some of the others. But to describe someone as attractive (or talk about what you find attractive), you’d use 魅力的 (miryokuteki).

魅力 (miryoku) means “charm”, “glamour” and “appeal.” When you add 的 (teki), it means someone who has that trait.

For example:
彼女の笑顔は魅力的だと思う。
kanojo no egao wa miryokuteki da to omou
“I find her smile attractive.”

“Elegant” in Japanese

There are a few ways to say “elegant” in Japanese, and they can describe appearance, behaviour or objects.

優美な (yuubi na) or 優雅な (yuuga na) can mean “graceful” or “elegant”, while 上品な (jouhin na) can mean “elegant” or “refined.”

Giving Compliments in Japanese

Japanese has many ways to tell someone they look pretty, but some Japanese words have heavier meanings than others.

In Japanese, some words like “beautiful” and “love” can be too serious for certain situations. In fact, saying “I love you” in Japanese is much more nuanced than in English.

So when it comes to giving a compliment, you want to make sure you do it the right way.

Japanese is an honorific language, and wording changes with the level of formality. A basic understanding of Japanese conjugation and casual, polite and formal speech will help you choose a compliment that fits the situation.

Some people may downplay a compliment with “いやいやいや” (iyaiyaiya, “no, no, no”) or a similar phrase, especially when a modest response suits the situation. That doesn’t necessarily mean they disliked the compliment.

A specific compliment often feels more natural than a broad judgement. Instead of “You look so beautiful!”, for example, you might say that someone’s hairstyle looks good today.

So How to Give Compliments in Japanese?

Let’s talk a bit more about how to do it the right way.

The right level of directness depends on the people involved and the setting, so compliments can take a little judgement.

Compliments can be part of ordinary small talk, but their frequency and tone vary from person to person.

A compliment might sound friendly, formal or flirtatious depending on the relationship and context, so don’t assume its meaning from gender alone.

Keeping a compliment specific and proportionate usually makes it easier to understand as sincere.

For example, instead of complimenting someone’s dress, you could compliment their taste in fashion. Or, if you do compliment the dress, you could say something like:

ワンピースがいいねー
wan pi-su ga ii ne-
“Your dress is nice.”

いいね (ii ne) is a common, nice, and simple compliment for almost any situation.

Here are a few other compliments that can work in the right setting:

• ありがとう、優しい, arigatou, yasashii: “Thank you, you’re so kind”
• 上手だね, jouzu da ne: “You’re good at this” or “You’re talented/skilled”
• すごい, sugoi: “Wow!” or “Amazing!” It’s multifunctional, but a bit generic and overused
• お疲れ様でした, otsukaresama deshita: “You worked hard” or “thank you for your hard work”
• 美味しい, oishii, or うまい, umai: “Delicious” and “good” respectively, both useful when you genuinely enjoy the food
• 似合ってるよ, niatteru yo: “That suits you” or “That looks good on you”

When a comment on appearance feels too direct, you can compliment someone’s skills or personality, or say that something suits them.

How to Take a Compliment in Japanese

What can you say when someone compliments you?

Responses vary, but in some settings people downplay a compliment to sound modest. A simple ありがとう (arigatou, “thank you”) can also be appropriate, especially in a casual conversation.

A modest reply can acknowledge the kind words without sounding as though you’re fully agreeing with the compliment.

Here are a few possible responses:

• そんなことありません, sonna koto arimasen: “That’s not the case”
• 全然そんなことないよ, zenzen sonna koto nai yo: “That’s not the case at all” (more casual, stronger denial than the last one)
• いいえ / ううん, iie / uun: “No”
• いやいやいや, iyaiyaiya: “No, no, no”

You may also see someone wave a hand in front of their face while denying a compliment, though the gesture isn’t required.

If you’d rather accept the compliment while still sounding modest, you can thank the person without strongly agreeing with them.

SoraNews24 shared a few examples from a Japanese Twitter thread, such as:

• 恐れ入ります, osoreirimasu: “Excuse me (for the trouble)” and an expression of gratitude in one
• 全然そんなことないけど嬉しいです, zenzen sonna koto nai kedo ureshii desu: “Not at all, but I’m happy (you think so/told me/said that).”

But if it’s between close friends, it’s okay to keep it more casual or even joke around.

Go Compliment Someone in Japanese!

Whether you tell someone they’re きれい (kirei), “pretty”, or use the simple いいね (ii ne), a kind, well-chosen compliment can brighten their day.

Now that you’ve learned how to give someone a compliment, here are some Japanese lessons you might enjoy next:

• How to use Te-form in Japanese
• The Ultimate Guide to Food in Japanese
• 47 Japanese Proverbs about Life, Love and Wisdom
• How to Read Japanese Manga [+ 10 Easy Manga Series for Beginners Learning Japanese]
• 150+ Japanese Words and Phrases You Need to Start Speaking Now