[General] You're always so good. You deserve it.

[Silverobama]

My friend Kevin is a professional English teacher who teaches Interpretation and Translation in a locl university. There's no doubt that his English is very good.

He attended a speech competition club last night and gave a speech and he won the prize among many participants.

When his pictures of holding the prize were posted in our online group (the group of that speech competition club), someone commented "You're always so good. You deserve it". The context is that the one who commented on Kevin's English, her English is not good at all.

Is the italic sentence natural?

I think it's natural but will it be a bit disrespectful? It's just like I comment on your performance and saying you deserve that prize. Can I say something else to make it more natural?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

My friend Kevin is a professional English teacher who teaches interpretation and translation at a local university. There's no doubt that his English is very good.

He attended a speech competition club last night and gave a speech, and he won the prize over many participants.

When his pictures of holding the prize were posted in our online group (the group of that speech competition club), someone commented "You're always so good. You deserve it". The context is that the English of the one who commented on Kevin's English[STRIKE], her English[/STRIKE] is not good at all.

Some people learn more quickly than others. She seems to realize that Kevin has excellent English.

Is the italic sentence natural?

Yes.

I think it's natural, but will it be a bit disrespectful?

No.

It's just like me commenting on your performance and saying you deserve that prize.

That seems like a nice thing to say. I would be flattered. I don't see what bothers you.

Can I say something else to make it more natural?

It's already natural.

It's all okay.

 

[Silverobama]

I think "You deserve it" means "You ask for it". That's why I felt a bit weird. Plus, the woman's English is not good and but speaks like she understands Kevin so well.

Anyway, much appreciated.

Edited: The woman commented after Kevin said "Thanks a lot to everyone tonight" and the woman was one of the participants there.

 

[GoesStation]

I think "You deserve it" means "You ask for it".

It doesn't.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I think "You deserve it" means "You asked for it".

No, it doesn't — not at all, in this situation. This is the positive sense of deserve, not the negative. We use it both ways.

That's why I felt a bit weird.

Don't worry. There was nothing weird about it. She used deserve absolutely correctly.

Plus, the woman's English is not good, [STRIKE]and[/STRIKE] but she speaks like she understands Kevin [STRIKE]so[/STRIKE] well.

From what you tell us, it just sounds like she admires his English. There's nothing wrong with that. You can probably let it go.

Anyway, much appreciated.

You're welcome!

 

[emsr2d2]

I think "You deserve it" means "You ask for it".

As you now know, we can use "deserve" in both positive and negative contexts.

Helen: I got a pay rise today!
Sarah: Good. You deserve it. You've worked so hard over the last year.

Bob: I've been stung by about a hundred bees.
Tom: I'm not surprised. You deserve it. You'll know better than to poke a bees' nest with a stick in future!