Compliments

1. Cuntadaadu aad bay u macaan tahay

   Your food is very delicious!

   Usage

   Praises a meal you were served. Literally "your food is very sweet/tasty".

   Grammar Note

   Cunto is feminine, hence bay and tahay. Macaan means "sweet" and extends to "tasty".

2. Waxaad tahay qof wanaagsan

   You are a very good person

   Usage

   A warm compliment after kindness. Works for men and women.

   Grammar Note

   Qof (person) is neutral for gender. The adjective follows the noun.

3. Gurigaagu waa quruxsan yahay

   Your house is beautiful!

   Usage

   Praises a house you are invited into. Guri is a masculine noun.

   Grammar Note

   Guri is masculine, so "is" is yahay. The subject ending -gaagu gives "your house".

4. Si wanaagsan ayaad u heesaysaa

   You sing very well!

   Usage

   Compliments someone's singing. Literally "you sing well".

   Grammar Note

   "Si + adjective" makes an adverb; si wanaagsan means "well", as in the Bible.

5. Soomaaligaagu aad buu u fiican yahay

   Your Somali is very good!

   Usage

   Praises a foreigner who speaks Somali.

   Grammar Note

   Soomaali as a language name is masculine, so buu and yahay are used.

6. Qalbi wanaagsan baad leedahay

   You have a kind heart

   Usage

   Praises a kind person. The Bible also has "qalbi wanaagsan" (a good heart).

   Grammar Note

   Leedahay means "you have"; the thing possessed comes first, followed by baad.

7. Shaqo wanaagsan baad qabatay

   You did a great job!

   Usage

   Praise for a job well done. Literally "you did good work".

   Grammar Note

   Qab means "to handle or carry out"; shaqo qab is "to do work".

8. Dharkaagu aad buu u qurxoon yahay

   Your clothes are very beautiful!

   Usage

   Compliments clothes. Literally "your clothes are very beautiful".

   Grammar Note

   Dhar is masculine and covers clothing in general. Qurxoon is a variant of quruxsan.

9. Dalkaagu aad buu u quruxsan yahay

   Your country is very beautiful

   Usage

   Praises someone's country. Dal means country or land.

   Grammar Note

   Dal is masculine, so buu and yahay are used.

10. Mahadsanid martiqaadkaaga

    Thank you for your hospitality

    Usage

    Thanks after being hosted. Martiqaad is the meal or invitation given to a guest.

    Grammar Note

    Martiqaad is masculine, so "your" is -kaaga.

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