Rebecca Thering
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30 Positive Phrases in English to Spread Smiles and Good Feelings
It feels good to be told something positive, right?
But can you understand and share kind words with others in English?
In this post, you’ll learn 30 positive phrases in English for complimenting, encouraging, appreciating, giving feedback and congratulating others.
With these phrases, you can spread and receive positivity while connecting with English speakers and showing off your language skills.
Contents
- 25 Positive Phrases in English
- Why Positive Phrases Are Important in American Culture
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
25 Positive Phrases in English
For Complimenting
A compliment is something nice you say to someone else about them. You could compliment someone’s appearance (clothing, smile, eyes, etc.), their work (writing, art, etc.) or even qualities you admire. It makes you feel good to give and receive compliments.
1. Your skirt is so pretty.
If you like what someone is wearing, tell them! Whether it’s their skirt, hat, shirt, shoes, jacket, earrings or nail polish, your compliment will be appreciated. Synonyms for “pretty” include “beautiful,” “lovely” and “cute.”
Your hat is so cute. Where did you get it?
2. That color looks good on you.
This is another way to compliment what someone is wearing. You can say “that color,” say the specific color that they’re wearing, or replace it with something else, such as “that dress” or “that tie.”
Red looks so good on you! It’s definitely your color.
3. You look great today.
Everyone feels better when they know they look good. This phrase can be used to tell someone that they look especially good today, especially if they’ve dressed up for a special occasion or made some change to their appearance.
You can replace “great” with words like “good,” “beautiful,” “cute,” “handsome” or “amazing.”
4. You’re a fantastic cook.
This structure can be used to compliment any type of person:
You’re a(n) + [adjective] + [type of person].
Instead of “cook,” you could use nouns such as “teacher,” “friend,” “writer,” “singer,” “painter,” “musician,” “listener,” “babysitter,” etc.
And you can use any synonym of “fantastic,” such as “incredible,” “talented” or “excellent.”
If your adjective begins with a vowel, don’t forget to use “an” instead of “a,” like this:
5. I like your new haircut.
When you notice something different about someone, it’s nice to say something. Whether it’s a new haircut, shoes or even something small like a cell phone case, a compliment makes the person feel like they made a good choice.
6. You have the best style.
Yes, here’s yet another compliment about appearance! And don’t worry, you don’t have to mean that someone is actually “the best” to use it.
This phrase can be used to compliment a few things other than “style,” such as “ideas,” “laugh,” “smile,” “technique,” “art supplies,” “books,” “dog,” etc.
You could also use other superlatives in place of “the best” to make a wide range of compliments, such as “the coolest,” “the most creative,” “the brightest,” “the prettiest,” etc.
You have the best voice. I love hearing you sing!
For Encouraging
Sometimes you can help someone a lot by telling them positive words. You can use kind, caring words to make someone feel amazing and motivated to accomplish (do) something. Below are six phrases for encouraging others.
7. You can do it!
This phrase helps make someone feel confident and determined. It tells them that they’re able to do something. The phrase “We can do it!” was used in a famous American wartime poster in 1943.
President Obama’s 2008 campaign slogan (phrase), “Yes we can!” means almost the same as “We can do it.”
To encourage yourself, say “I” instead of “you” or “we”: I can do it! There’s even a children’s book called “‘I Can Do It’ Day.”
This phrase is often used when someone has doubts about their abilities. For example:
A: This engineering exam is going to be really hard.
8. Don’t give up!
Sometimes, instead of telling someone what to do, it’s helpful to tell them what not to do. Because of this, many encouraging phrases begin with the word “don’t,” such as “Don’t stop!” or “Don’t lose hope!” (The famous song by Journey, “Don’t Stop Believing,” is another example of this.)
To “give up” is a phrasal verb that means to lose hope and stop trying. Let’s say a friend tells you a riddle or a puzzle that you try to figure out. After 5 minutes of wrong guesses, you might say “I give up.” Your friend would then tell you the correct answer.
But if you’re working towards something important, it’s nice to hear someone remind you “Don’t give up!”
A: I can’t remember the next line! Ah, I don’t know if I can memorize this poem by the end of the week.
9. You’re almost there!
This is a great motivating phrase to help someone finish a task or goal. If someone is so close to finishing, why not just finish? They’ve already done most of the work!
In this phrase, “there” usually doesn’t mean an actual place (though it can). Instead, it often means the state of being finished or done.
10. You’ve made it this far.
This phrase also points out how much progress someone has already made. They’re not still at the beginning; they’ve come “this far,” or this distance.
The verb “to make” is usually used when you’re creating something. However, the phrase “to make it” informally means to accomplish, finish or achieve something.
It’s also often used to describe success in becoming famous. In that case, “She made it” could mean “She’s famous now.”
But “You’ve made it this far” means that you’ve accomplished this much already.
A: Do you think I’ll ever sell 100 copies of my e-book?
B: Of course—you’ve made it this far! You only have 40 more to sell.
11. Keep it up!
One meaning of the phrasal verb “to keep up” is to stay at the same level or pace as something. For example, if you can keep up with your class assignments, it means you can stay on schedule and finish all of your assignments on time.
But the phrase “keep it up” has its own separate meaning: to continue doing well. So it’s used when someone has already been doing a good job with something, and you want them to keep working hard.
This piano piece sounds great; you must have practiced a lot. Keep it up!
12. I believe in you!
This is an encouraging way to show your support for someone in whatever they are working towards. It means that you believe in their ability to reach their goals.
You have the skills and confidence to succeed and I know you’ll get the promotion. I believe in you!
For Appreciating
When you appreciate something, you think about how important it is to you. To appreciate someone means that you value them. The phrases below can be used to let someone know that you appreciate (are grateful for) them.
13. Thanks for your help.
Saying thank you for anything makes people feel appreciated, needed and loved. You can use either of the following structures:
Thanks (so much) for + [a thing].
Thanks (so much) for + [-ing verb].
For example, “Thanks for coming!” or “Thanks so much for babysitting for us next week” are both actions expressed with -ing verbs. In the example below we’re thanking someone for a thing: a card.
Thanks for the lovely birthday card you sent in the mail. It really made my birthday special!
14. I couldn’t have done it without you.
This phrase lets someone know they are irreplaceable.
Similarly, you could say “What would I do without you?” The question isn’t really meant to be answered. It simply expresses that the person is very helpful.
Thanks for helping me plan this wedding. I couldn’t have done it without you!
15. I’m so proud of you.
Feeling pride about someone else is one of the happiest feelings humans can feel. So when you’re really pleased with what someone else has done, tell them you’re proud of them.
Your art portfolio is fantastic—you’ve worked really hard! I’m so proud of you.
16. You’re so awesome.
This phrase is very simple, yet effective. “Awesome” can be replaced with “incredible,” “genius,” “helpful,” “sweet” or any other appropriate adjective.
You’re so talented. You play the piano really well!
17. I appreciate your support.
“I appreciate you” tells someone that you value them. If someone provides you with support, it means they help you or agree with you.
“Support” can be substituted with “help,” “time,” “effort” or any other relevant noun.
I appreciate your positive attitude.
18. I’m so grateful for you.
This is a nice way to tell someone that you appreciate them. It’s usually said only to people who the speaker has a close relationship with, like a partner, close friend or family member.
I’m so grateful for you. You’ve been so helpful during this difficult time.
For Giving Positive Feedback
When you judge someone’s performance or creation, it’s important to give positive feedback along with any criticisms (things to improve). This means pointing out both something they did well and something they can do better.
In America, the “criticism sandwich” is one way to do this. To make this type of sandwich, you begin with a positive, then a negative, and end with another positive. The two positives are like the two outer slices of bread, which is why it’s called a “sandwich.”
Here are six phrases for giving positive feedback.
19. You did a good job on the project.
You can use this phrase (or variations) to let someone know they’ve done well on a certain task. Here are two possible structures:
You did a good job + on + [thing].
You did a good job + [-ing verb] + [details].
Like many other phrases in this list, you can replace “good” with any appropriate synonym.
You can also replace “project” with something more specific. In fact, the more specific you can be, the better the feedback. If you remove “on,” you can use an -ing verb to describe an action.
You did a great job on your website. I really like the design!
You did a good job cleaning your room! It looks so much better.
20. Great work on the presentation.
This is pretty similar to the previous phrase, but a bit more casual. Again, you can replace “great” with other positive adjectives, and “the presentation” with other types of creations.
Excellent work on the interview questions!
21. I like the way you give instructions.
“I like the way you…” is used to compliment an action, so it must be followed by a verb.
I like the way you made the headings bold and blue. That style really helps them stand out.
22. You’re improving a lot.
This tells someone that they are getting better. If you want to follow this phrase with some criticism, be specific about what they can do to continue improving.
You’re improving a lot. Keep on practicing English for 15 minutes each day!
23. I can tell you worked really hard on this.
When someone puts a lot of time and effort into something, they’ll love to be recognized for it. This phrase communicates that you know they’ve spent a lot of time carefully working on something.
I can tell you worked really hard on the monthly newsletter.
24. This looks really good.
You can use this phrase to compliment someone’s work, art, the food they’ve cooked, or basically anything that you think looks good. You can change the subject and the adjective to fit whatever it is you want to talk about.
This essay looks really good! You’re such a talented writer.
For Congratulating
Finally, to congratulate is to tell someone you’re happy for them and their good news. You usually congratulate others during a celebration, such as a birthday, a wedding or after the birth of a child.
25. Happy anniversary!
An anniversary celebrates the day a couple was married. For example, if two people celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, it means the couple has been married for 50 years.
You can also use “Happy” for several other holidays and occasions, such as “Happy New Year,” “Happy retirement” and the all-time favorite, “Happy birthday!”
26. Congratulations!
This is a word that can be used to congratulate anyone in a variety of situations. You could say it when your friend gets a new job, when your boss buys a new house, when a friend has a baby or when your cousin gets engaged (to be married).
Congratulations on the new job!
27. I’m so happy for you!
This phrase can be used when someone shares good news with you. “Happy” can be replaced with similar words, such as “excited,” or “thrilled.”
I can’t believe he proposed! I’m so happy for you!
(To propose means to ask someone to marry you)
28. That’s great news!
Similar to the previous phrase, you can use this response whenever someone tells you something positive or exciting that has happened. For example, if they got a new job or reached a goal they were working towards.
You can replace “great” with another adjective like “fantastic” or “wonderful.”
I heard you got a promotion at work. That’s great news!
29. Good job!
You can say this short phrase to anyone about pretty much anything. When your friend passes his test: “Good job!” When your neighbor redecorates her living room: “Good job!”
This cake looks amazing. Good job!
30. Good luck with your new job!
Finally, you can wish someone good luck to show you hope something goes well. It’s most common to say “good luck” before an exam, an interview or a big performance, for example.
Good luck with your presentation on Friday! You’re going to do great.
Why Positive Phrases Are Important in American Culture
Although positive phrases are used in all cultures, they’re especially important for American culture. Here are a few examples of when they’re often used:
- Playing sports. Americans love sports, and positive phrases are essential when playing sports. Coaches and teammates can help each other play better with encouraging words. Spectators (the people watching) and fans can also use encouraging words to motivate the team they want to win.
- Working. Americans are a hard-working group of people. CNN Money lists the United States as the 7th hardest working country in the world. Being positive and optimistic (hopeful) helps to make the hard work easier and more pleasant.
- Teaching. Whether you’re the teacher or the student, learning improves with positivity. If teachers can help their students feel motivated and upbeat, they will learn better. (The same is true for learning English on your own, by the way—it helps to be positive!)
- Building relationships. If you tell your friends, family and coworkers positive things, they will appreciate your words. They will also then think positive thoughts about you. Can you imagine a world where everyone was saying and thinking positive things about everyone else? It would be a very happy place!
Using some of these phrases will surely help you make friends and build deeper connections with the English speakers in your life. You can find more positive phrases as you learn more English. It’s especially easy to pick up new vocabulary and expressions if you watch English videos on a program like FluentU.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
Don’t be shy—get out there and start spreading some positivity with kind and encouraging words! You can do it!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here:
If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.
The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.
FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.
For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.
The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
