Felicitaciones
/feliθitaθjones/from spelling rules
The Spanish word for congratulation is Felicitaciones.
Felicitaciones is an expression used to praise someone for an achievement. Adding 'muchas' (many) before the word is a very common way to add warmth and emphasis to the greeting, as in Muchas felicidades. For toasting to someone's success, you can use the phrase ¡Por tu éxito! To show admiration or applaud an achievement, you may use ¡Bravo! or ¡Brava!
Which one should you use?
While Felicitaciones is typically used to praise a specific accomplishment like a graduation or a promotion, felicidades is more common for celebratory occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people often use ¡Enhorabuena! to convey congratulations in both formal and informal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing congratulations in Spanish, it is standard to use exclamation marks at both the beginning and the end of the word, such as ¡Felicidades!
How do you pronounce it?
/feliθitaθjones/
Did you know?
- The phrase ¡Enhorabuena! used in Spain comes from the words en and hora buena, meaning 'in a good hour'. It suggests the person was born or acted at a lucky moment.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a verbal felicitaciones is often accompanied by a physical gesture like a double cheek kiss or a warm embrace, which might feel more intimate than an English 'congratulations'.
- While ¡Enhorabuena! is the standard way to say 'congratulations' in Spain, using it in some Latin American countries may sound overly formal or like something from an old movie.
Examples in context
- ¡Felicidades por tu nuevo trabajo!Congratulations on your new job!
- Muchas felicitaciones por el éxito de tu hija.Many congratulations on your daughter's success.
- ¡Felicitaciones por tu graduación!Congratulations on your graduation!
Example conversation
Alejandro greets Elena after she finished her first marathon.
- Alejandro¡Felicitaciones por terminar la carrera, Elena!Congratulations on finishing the race, Elena!
- Elena¡Muchas gracias, Alejandro!Thank you very much, Alejandro!
- AlejandroLo hiciste de forma increíble.You did it incredibly well.
- ElenaFue un gran esfuerzo.It was a great effort.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
