Compliments

1. E kuminda ta mashá sabroso!

   E ku-min-da ta ma-shá sa-bro-so!

   The food is very delicious!

   Usage

   Complimenting someone on their delicious food

   Grammar Note

   "sabroso" is borrowed from Spanish meaning "tasty" or "flavorful"

2. Kòrsou ta un isla bunita.

   Kòr-sou ta un is-la bu-ni-ta.

   Curaçao is a beautiful island.

   Usage

   Complimenting the beauty of Curaçao to locals

   Grammar Note

   "isla" is from Spanish meaning "island"; "Kòrsou" is the Papiamentu name for Curaçao

3. Bo ta papia Papiamentu mashá bon.

   Bo ta pa-pia Pa-pia-men-tu ma-shá bon.

   You speak Papiamentu very well.

   Usage

   Complimenting someone on their Papiamentu language skills

   Grammar Note

   "Mashá" is the Papiamentu intensifier; Spanish "muy" is not used. "Bon" (good) comes from Portuguese/Spanish

4. Danki pa bo hospitalidad.

   Dan-ki pa bo hos-pi-ta-li-dad.

   Thank you for your hospitality.

   Usage

   Thanking someone for their warm hospitality

   Grammar Note

   "hospitalidad" is borrowed from Spanish meaning "hospitality"

5. Kiko bo a krea ta hopi impresionante.

   Ki-ko bo a kre-a ta ho-pi im-pre-sio-nan-te.

   What you created is very impressive.

   Usage

   Praising someone's work or creation

   Grammar Note

   "a" is the perfective tense marker; "impresionante" is from Spanish

6. Bo ta un persona hopi amabel.

   Bo ta un per-so-na ho-pi a-ma-bel.

   You are a very kind person.

   Usage

   Complimenting someone on their kindness

   Grammar Note

   "amabel" derives from Spanish "amable" meaning "kind/amiable"

7. Bo a hasi un bon trabou.

   Bo a ha-si un bon tra-bou.

   You did a good job.

   Usage

   Praising someone for a job well done

   Grammar Note

   "Trabou" is from Portuguese "trabalho" (work). The perfective is marked by "a" before the verb, as in "Bo a hasi bon!". "Haña" means to get/find, so "bo ta haña bon trabou" would mean "you are getting a good job"

8. Bo tin un sonrisa bunita.

   Bo tin un son-ri-sa bu-ni-ta.

   You have a beautiful smile.

   Usage

   Complimenting someone on their beautiful smile

   Grammar Note

   "sonrisa" is borrowed from Spanish meaning "smile"

9. Bo ta muchu intelihente.

   Bo ta mu-chu in-te-li-hen-te.

   You are very intelligent.

   Usage

   Complimenting someone on their intelligence

   Grammar Note

   "intelihente" derives from Spanish "inteligente" meaning "intelligent"

10. E bista di aki ta perfekto!

    E bis-ta di a-ki ta per-fek-to!

    The view from here is perfect!

    Usage

    Praising a beautiful view or scenery

    Grammar Note

    "perfekto" derives from Spanish "perfecto" meaning "perfect"

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