Liang Yong (25) receives acupuncture treatment for obesity at the Aimin Fat Reduction Hospital, China's largest treatment centre of this kind, in Tianjin. Obesity is on the rise in China, according to a state-media report that cited statistics showing ten percent of children in the country are obese. The percentage is as high as twenty percent in larger cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. PHOTO - TASR/EPA
LOOKING back over the past editions of the Language Page, one notices a disturbing pattern. Insults, pick-up lines, and other sensational material have been the topic of many a column. Even the week covering weddings paid great attention to dramatic matters like kidnapping, drunkenness, and broken crockery. To change the tone of these pages, today we will turn to all things dobré ako med, or as good as honey. This is not a moral judgment - so do not worry that you will only be able to use that expression and the following Slovak words when dressed in your Sunday best. When something pleases you or is of good quality, calling it as good as honey is a nice way to praise it. Here are a few more hints on paying compliments.
One simple way is a term of endearment. Usually said between men are "si pašák!" and "si chlapík!" On their own, both of these appellations mean "guy". But when said with "si" (you are) and the ever-important exclamation mark, they mean "you're a great guy!" For men and women, you can also say "si borec" ("you're a champ") and "si jednička" ("you're number one").
When impressed by a friend, you can use the trusty "ty vole" (literally "you bull") and "ty brďo", which the Slovaks I consulted said had no literal meaning. Use these to say "oh man" or "oh wow", when, for example, someone performs a skilful athletic feat or does something pleasantly unexpected.
Often, though, we compliment people to thank them for helping us. When someone does you a favour, tell them they're golden - "si zlatý" to a man and "si zlatá" to a woman. At work you might say "to bolo veľmi nápomocné" ("that was very helpful"). Say someone helps you unfreeze your computer. Show
your gratitude with "si šikovný" ("you are skilled"). To get melodramatic, there is "si môj hrdina" (hrdinka to refer to a woman) - "you're my hero".
The dinner table is a place where pleasing words are of high importance. To thank your host for a fine meal, start with "jedlo bolo výborné" ("the food was excellent") and then move on to "si dobrý kuchár" ("you're a good cook"). Once these are out of the way, take a deep breath and whip out "to bolo tak dobré, že ďalšie dva dni nebudem nič jesť, lebo tomu sa nič nevyrovná" - "that was so good that I will not eat anything for the next two days as nothing can live up to it". Be sure you can pull this one off because flattery that falls flat could ruin desert.
Commenting on looks is another good spot for compliments. To show appreciation of a friend's clothes, you could say "to sú geniálne nohavice" ("those are brilliant pants"). I know brilliant sounds strange, but do not worry - it does not mean the pants are highly intelligent.
Another comment you might hear in relation to your appearance is "no ty vyzeráš..." ("so you look..."). This expression can also be positive or negative, meaning either that you look good or that you look wiped out and worse for wear. But let us stick to the bright side of things. When something is stupefyingly fantastic, you might want to say, "to je tak dobré, že to vôbec nechápem" or "that is so good I can't even believe it" (literally "...that I don't understand it at all"). I will leave you to imagine your own situation to meet this strong statement - nothing I can come up with is sensational enough.
By Eric Smillie, The Slovak Spectator
