59 Giving and responding to compliments
59.1 Cultural conventions regarding praise
Traditionally, Chinese people do not say 谢谢/謝謝 xièxiè ‘thank you’ in response to a personal
compliment of any kind. In Chinese culture, accepting a personal compliment can be interpreted
as showing conceit. Thus, it is customary in China for people to reject rather than to accept
compliments. To a Westerner, 谢谢/謝謝 xièxiè is merely thanks for the compliment. However,
in Chinese culture, it is often interpreted as a boastful agreement with someone’s assessment
of the quality of your abilities or possessions.59.2 Expressions used in deflecting praise
You are expected to reject compliments and deflect praise of your accomplishments, abilities,
and possessions, and to deflect praise of the accomplishments and abilities of those close to
you. The following expressions are commonly used to deflect praise:
Deflecting praise in neutral or informal situations哪里，哪里。 哪儿的话？
哪裏，哪裏。 哪兒的話？
Nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ. Nǎr de huà?
I have done nothing to deserve What kind of talk is that?
your compliments. What are you talking about?
(lit. ‘where? where?’)没什么。 不好，不好。
沒甚麼。
Méi shénme. Bù hǎo, bù hǎo.
It is nothing. Not good, not good.真的吗？
真的嗎？
Zhēnde ma?
Really?
More formal expressions used to deflect praise过奖了。 不敢当。
過獎了。 不敢當。
Guò jiǎng le. Bùgǎndāng.(^) You are excessive in your praise. I cannot accept your praise.