What does it mean word for word?
とても綺麗ですね is composed of totemo (very), kirei (beautiful/pretty), desu (is/am/are) and the particle ne (right/isn't it?).
Which one should you use?
While kirei (綺麗) emphasizes beauty and elegance, kawaii (可愛い) is used to emphasize cuteness or charm.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To make the compliment informal and suitable for friends or partners, you can replace desu ne with da ne, resulting in とても綺麗だね. Other informal variations include すっごくかわいいね (You're so cute), おめかししてる？今日めちゃくちゃキレイだよ (Are you dressed up? You look incredibly beautiful today) and すっごい美人だね。ルックスも中身も文句なし (You're incredibly beautiful. Your looks and personality are impeccable). A highly formal version is 麗しいお姿ですね。まるで絵画のようです (You have a beautiful figure. You resemble a painting).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word kirei is a na-adjective, which means it requires desu to function as a polite predicate.
How do you pronounce it?
totemo kirei desu ne
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might forget to include the particle ne at the end. Including ne softens the statement and makes it sound more like a natural, engaging compliment rather than a blunt observation.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, responding to a compliment like とても綺麗ですね with a humble denial, such as iie ('no'), is often more socially expected than saying 'thank you'.
- The word kirei can also mean 'clean' or 'tidy' in Japanese. Depending on the context, you might accidentally tell someone their room is very clean instead of telling them they look pretty.
- The word kirei is written with characters that literally mean 'pure' and 'clever', reflecting a historical link between beauty, morality and intellect.
Examples in context
- その髪型、とても綺麗ですね。Sono kamigata, totemo kirei desu ne.That hairstyle is very pretty.
Example conversation
Yuta compliments Yui's appearance at a restaurant.
- 陽太 Yota結衣さんは、とても綺麗ですね。Yui-san wa, totemo kirei desu ne.Yui, you look so pretty.
- 結衣 Yui本当ですか？嬉しいです。Hontō desu ka? Ureshii desu.Really? I'm happy to hear that.
- 陽太 Yotaはい、本当に。Hai, hontō ni.Yes, truly.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます、陽太さん。Arigatō gozaimasu, Yota-san.Thank you, Yuta.
