As the easier word to understand for the majority of the public, free is definitely the more used word. It is simple and easy.

對(duì)于大多數(shù)公眾來(lái)說(shuō)，“free”是一個(gè)更容易理解的詞，當(dāng)然也是更常用的詞。它很簡(jiǎn)單和容易。

In fact, free is one of the most powerful words in advertising.

事實(shí)上，free是廣告中最有力的字眼之一。

On the other hand, complimentary is more elegant. And hence may be the reason why it’s more used in the hospitality and luxury industry. It sounds more special and nicer.

另一方面，complimentary更優(yōu)雅。這可能就是為什么它更多地用于酒店和奢侈品行業(yè)的原因。它聽(tīng)起來(lái)有更特別，更友好的感覺(jué)。

到底什么時(shí)候用哪個(gè)詞？

Obviously, the right word is more dependent on the context.

顯然，正確使用哪個(gè)詞取決于上下文。

If you are a luxury brand, or into a high-value industry like real estate, complimentary sounds better for your tone and voice.

如果你是一個(gè)奢侈品牌，或者像房地產(chǎn)這樣的高價(jià)值行業(yè)，complimentary聽(tīng)起來(lái)更適合這個(gè)行業(yè)。

But if you are a sportswear brand, a supermarket, or a mobile app, free is the preferred option.

但如果你是運(yùn)動(dòng)品牌、超市或移動(dòng)應(yīng)用程序，free是首選。

Also, you have to be careful with the usage of free vs complimentary when there is any kind of payment involved. You can have complimentary items when you buy something. So though the actual item is free, its definition of ‘free’ is dependent on the purchase of something else.

此外，當(dāng)涉及到付費(fèi)時(shí)，你必須小心使用free和complimentary。你買東西的時(shí)候可以有附贈(zèng)的物品叫作complimentary。雖然complimentary指的物品是免費(fèi)的，但它之所以免費(fèi)的還是因?yàn)?strong>你購(gòu)買其他東西才能免費(fèi)的。