Which one should you use?
While تبریک is the standard noun, you can use different phrases depending on the level of formality. For a highly formal or respectful way to say "I offer my congratulations" to a superior or elder, use تبریک عرض میکنم. In colloquial spoken Persian, the formal sentence "I congratulate you" is often shortened to تبریک میگم.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because تبریک is a noun, you cannot use it alone to form a complete sentence like "I congratulate you". Instead, you must use the verb phrase تبریک میگویم. In spoken Persian, this is frequently shortened to تبریک میگم.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tab.ˈriːk/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
When do people say it?
For specific occasions like birthdays, Persians use the phrase Tavallodetoon mobarak! to mean "Happy Birthday to you!"
Did you know?
- Persians may avoid saying تبریک too early or too loudly in certain contexts to prevent cheshm-zadan, the superstitious belief that excessive praise can attract the 'evil eye'.
- When responding to تبریک, it is common to use salāmāt bāshīd, which wishes the other person health rather than just saying 'thank you'.
- In highly formal settings, the verb used for 'offering' congratulations is عرض کردن (arz kardan), which literally means 'to present' or 'to lay before'. This demonstrates a linguistic hierarchy where the speaker 'lays' their well-wishes before the listener.
Examples in context
- تبریک!Congratulations!This example shows how to use تبریک as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #3871138 by kuarash, translation #1437 by CK
Example conversation
Sara tells Mohammad that she passed her exam.
- سارا Saraمحمد، من امتحانم رو پاس شدم!Mohammad, man emtehanam ro pass shodam!Mohammad, I passed my exam!
- محمد Mohammadواقعاً؟ تبریک میگم سارا!Vaghean? Tabrik migam Sara!Really? Congratulations, Sara!
- سارا Saraممنونم ازت!Mamnoonam azat!Thank you!
- محمد Mohammadخیلی خوشحالم برای تو.Kheyli khoshhalam baraye to.I am very happy for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “congratulations” translations and entries تبریک, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
