čestitam
The English phrase "congratulations" can be expressed in Bosnian using čestitam.
čestitam is a common way to express congratulations in Bosnian. For more specific formal contexts, you can use Čestitke za uspjeh to congratulate someone on their success or Čestitke na novoj poziciji when congratulating someone on a new job or position. If you want to offer more emotion in a formal setting, Iskrene čestitke means "Heartfelt congratulations".
Meaning: expressing approbation (intj)
Which one should you use?
You can use Čestitam puno to say "Congratulations" with added emphasis in informal settings. If you are expressing that someone has finally achieved a goal, the informal phrase Napokon si uspio/uspjela can be used to mean "You finally did it". Additionally, Svaka čast is an informal way to say "Well done".
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form čestitam is the first-person singular present tense of the verb čestitati, which translates to "I congratulate". If you are congratulating someone on behalf of a group, you should use the first-person plural form čestitamo, which means "We congratulate".
Did you know?
- In some social contexts, the phrase svaka čast can be used sarcastically to criticize someone who has made a clumsy or foolish mistake. The tone of voice completely flips the meaning from praise to irony.
- If you are congratulating someone on a wedding, you might hear people say Neka je sa srećom, which means 'May it be with happiness', rather than just 'congratulations'.
- The root of the word čestit (honest/noble) suggests that to congratulate someone is to acknowledge their 'honorable' or 'virtuous' status.
Examples in context
- Čestitam!Congratulations!This sentence is useful for expressing čestitam.Tatoeba #5370537 by iwasinabadway, translation #1437 by CK
- Čestitam ti na novom poslu.I congratulate you on your new job.
- Iskreno ti čestitam na velikom uspjehu.I sincerely congratulate you on your great success.
Example conversation
Amar and Lejla are celebrating Lejla's graduation.
- AmarČestitam, Lejla, završila si fakultet!Congratulations, Lejla, you finished college!
- LejlaHvala puno, Amare!Thank you so much, Amar!
- AmarBaš si vrijedna, zaslužila si ovo.You are very hardworking, you deserved this.
- LejlaHvala ti na lijepim riječima.Thank you for the kind words.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
