مبارک
mubārak/mʊ.bɑː.ɾɪk/
To say congratulations in Urdu, use مبارک, romanized as mubārak. In speech it is almost always followed by ho, giving مبارک ہو.
مبارک ہو is used to congratulate someone on an achievement, a wedding, a new baby or any happy occasion. For praise after something done well, Shabaash means bravo or well done and Bohat achay means very good.
Meaning: expressing approbation (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
مبارک ہو is made of mubārak, blessed and ho, may it be, so it literally means may it be blessed.
Which one should you use?
مبارکباد, romanized as mubārakbād, is the noun for congratulations or a congratulatory message. Tebrikat is a more formal word for felicitations.
How does it change in a sentence?
Add ho after mubārak to make the complete phrase. To make it stronger, repeat the word for very before it, as in بہت بہت مبارک ہو, many many congratulations.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /mʊ.bɑː.ɾɪk/ in three syllables, with a long a in the middle and a tapped r.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not say mubārak on its own when congratulating someone. Say مبارک ہو.
Did you know?
- In Urdu culture, the act of congratulating someone is often accompanied by a physical gesture of hugging or kissing the cheek, especially among people of the same gender.
- Urdu speakers may respond to مبارک ہو by saying خیر مبارک ('khair mubarak'), which essentially returns the blessing to the person who offered the congratulations.
- The word mubārak is actually a linguistic traveler, having moved from Arabic into Persian before finally arriving in Urdu.
Examples in context
- آپ کو نئی ملازمت مبارک ہو۔Aap ko nayi naukri mubarak ho.Congratulations on your new job.
- نئی گاڑی مبارک ہو۔Nayi gaari mubarak ho.Congratulations on the new car.
- آپ کی کامیابی مبارک ہو۔Aap ki kamyabi mubarak ho.Congratulations on your success.
Example conversation
Ahmed tells Fatima that he passed his exams.
- فاطمہ Fatimaاحمد، کیا تم نے امتحان پاس کر لیا؟Ahmed, kya tum ne imtihan paas kar liya?Ahmed, did you pass the exam?
- احمد Ahmedجی فاطمہ، میں نے امتحان پاس کر لیا۔Ji Fatima, mein ne imtihan paas kar liya.Yes Fatima, I passed the exam.
- فاطمہ Fatimaبہت بہت مبارک ہو!Bohat bohat mubarak ho!Many many congratulations!
- احمد Ahmedآپ کا بہت شکریہ۔Aap ka bohat shukriya.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “congratulations” translations and entries مبارک, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries مبارک, CC BY-SA 4.0.
