Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between how a person looks and how an item suits them. While 似合ってる refers to how well an object suits a person, the word かっこいい (kakkoii) is used to say that the person themselves looks cool or handsome.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you wish to be more formal, you can use the polite form 似合っています (niatte imasu). Adding ね (ne) to the end of the polite form, as in 似合っていますね (niatte imasu ne), makes the compliment sound softer and more conversational, similar to saying "It suits you, doesn't it?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai region, instead of using the standard "you look cool" phrase, people often use かっこええな (kakkoee na).
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of 似合ってる is 似合っています (niatte imasu).
How do you pronounce it?
niatteru
When do people say it?
Depending on the specific type of compliment you want to give, Japanese has several other specialized expressions. To say someone is stylish or has a good sense of fashion, use おしゃれですね (osha-re desu ne). To say someone looks beautiful or pretty, use お綺麗ですね (o-kirei desu ne). If you want to remark that someone's figure or presence looks amazing, use お姿が素敵ですね (o-sugata ga suteki desu ne). For a formal way to say "that looks good on you" or "you look good together," use 良くお似合いですね (yoku o-niai desu ne). In informal settings, you might also say かっこいいね (kakkoii ne) to mean you look cool, すごく素敵だよ (sugoku suteki da yo) to mean you look amazing, かわいいね (kawaii ne) to mean you look cute or モデルみたいだよ (mo-deru mitai da yo) to say someone looks like a model.
Did you know?
- When receiving a compliment like 似合ってる, it is culturally common for Japanese people to modestly deny it. Instead of saying 'thank you', they might say そんなことないです meaning 'that is not the case'.
- The verb inside 似合ってる comes from the verb 似る (niru), which means 'to resemble' or 'to be similar to'. In this context, you are essentially saying the item and the person resemble one another in style.
- While 似合ってる focuses on the item, you can use the same verb to say two people 'look good' as a couple. In this context, it describes the harmony and compatibility between two personalities rather than their clothes.
Examples in context
- 黒が似合ってるよ。You look good in black.This sentence shows how to say someone looks good in a specific color using 似合ってる.Tatoeba #8612278 by small_snow, translation #3368737 by AlanF_US
- その服、似合ってるね。You look good in those clothes.This sentence is used to say someone looks good in certain clothes using 似合ってる.Tatoeba #10635022 by bunbuku, translation #1450788 by CK
- その眼鏡、よく似合ってるよ。You look good with those glasses on.This sentence uses 似合ってる to compliment someone wearing glasses.Tatoeba #892996 by bunbuku, translation #4695540 by Hybrid
Example conversation
Hina and Ren are meeting for a date.
- 陽葵 Himariそのネクタイ、すごく似合ってる！Sono nekutai, sugoku niatteru!That tie looks really good on you!
- 蓮 Ren本当？ありがとう、陽葵。Hontō? Arigatō, Hina.Really? Thanks, Hina.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、いい色だと思うよ。Un, ii iro da to omou yo.Yeah, I think it's a great color.
- 蓮 Ren嬉しいよ。君こそ、似合ってるね。Ureshii yo. Kimi koso, niatteru ne.I'm glad. You look great too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
