Giving a Compliment

You compliment someone's home, cooking, or town during a visit or casual conversation.

You
¡Qué linda su casa! Me encanta la decoración.
keh LEEN-dah soo KAH-sah! meh ehn-KAHN-tah lah deh-koh-rah-SYOHN.
What a beautiful home! I love the decoration.
"¡Qué lindo/linda!" is an all-purpose compliment structure. Change the adjective ending to match the noun: lindo (masculine), linda (feminine).
Host
¡Ay, qué amable! Muchas gracias. Es sencilla, pero es nuestra.
ay, keh ah-MAH-bleh! MOO-chahs GRAH-syahs. ehs sehn-SEE-yah, PEH-roh ehs NWEHS-trah.
Oh, how kind! Thank you very much. It's simple, but it's ours.
Latin Americans often respond to compliments with humility. This response is typical and shows pride mixed with modesty.
You
Y la comida está deliciosa. Cocina usted muy rico.
ee lah koh-MEE-dah ehs-TAH deh-lee-SYOH-sah. koh-SEE-nah oos-TEHD mooy RREE-koh.
And the food is delicious. You cook very well.
"Rico" in this context means "delicious" or "tasty," not "rich." "Cocina muy rico" is a high compliment for any home cook.
Host
¡Qué bueno que le guste! Hay más, ¿quiere repetir?
keh BWEH-noh keh leh GOOS-teh! ay mahs, KYEH-reh reh-peh-TEER?
I'm glad you like it! There's more, would you like seconds?
"Repetir" means "to repeat" but in the context of food it means "to have seconds." Hosts love it when guests enjoy the food.