Which one should you use?
While congratulazioni is used for significant life events, you might use complimenti to express admiration for more general achievements or to praise someone's specific skills.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
congratulazioni is the standard, full form used for formal or official congratulations. In contrast, you might use the informal complimenti to express admiration or the gender-specific bravissimo or bravissima to congratulate someone for a job well done.
How does it change in a sentence?
congratulazioni is a feminine plural noun and is almost always used in its plural form when expressing congratulations.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 6 syllables, with the stress on the 5th syllable: /kon.ɡra.tu.latˈtsjɔ.ni/.
When do people say it?
When celebrating special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, Italians often use auguri!, which literally translates to "wishes".
Did you know?
- Be careful with the word bravo if you are congratulating someone in a professional setting. While it is a common way to say 'well done', calling a colleague bravo can sometimes sound slightly patronizing, as if you were praising a child.
- In Italy, it is common to accompany congratulazioni with a physical gesture such as a double cheek kiss or a firm handshake and a pat on the shoulder.
- In a restaurant, you should use complimenti to praise the meal. Using congratulazioni in this setting would sound unnaturally formal and misplaced to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- Complimenti per la tua bella casa nuova!Congratulations on your beautiful new house!
- Evviva, hai vinto la gara!Hooray, you won the race!
- Congratulazioni per la laurea!Congratulations on your graduation!
- Tante congratulazioni per il nuovo lavoro.Many congratulations on the new job.
- Le mie congratulazioni per il matrimonio.My congratulations on the wedding.
Example conversation
Sofia meets Matteo at a café to celebrate his promotion.
- SofiaCongratulazioni per la promozione, Matteo!Congratulations on the promotion, Matteo!
- MatteoGrazie mille, Sofia! Sei molto gentile.Thanks a lot, Sofia! You are very kind.
- SofiaTi meriti questo successo.You deserve this success.
- MatteoGrazie, festeggiamo con un caffè!Thanks, let's celebrate with a coffee!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry congratulazioni, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
