herzlichen Glückwunsch
/ˌhɛʁt͡slɪçn̩ ˈɡlʏkvʊnʃ/
congratulations in German is herzlichen Glückwunsch.
herzlichen Glückwunsch is a common way to say Congratulations! in German. While English speakers typically use the plural form, the German phrase uses the singular noun Glückwunsch.
Meaning: expressing approbation (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to heartfelt congratulations, where herzlichen means heartfelt and Glückwunsch means congratulation.
Which one should you use?
The noun Gratulation can refer to the act of congratulating, but herzlichen Glückwunsch is the standard idiomatic expression used to actually congratulate someone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, you might use Gratulation! instead of herzlichen Glückwunsch!
How does it change in a sentence?
When congratulating someone on a specific event, you use the preposition zu combined with the definite article, resulting in zum for masculine or neuter nouns and zur for feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌhɛʁtslɪçn̩ ˈɡlʏkvʊnʃ/
Did you know?
- In German culture, it is often considered bad luck to say herzlichen Glückwunsch for a birthday before the actual date has arrived.
- The word Glückwunsch is a compound of Glück meaning 'luck' and Wunsch meaning 'wish'. This reveals that a German congratulation is conceptually a wish for future good luck rather than just a praise of a past achievement.
- If you want to congratulate someone on a wedding, you might use the phrase Alles Gute zur Hochzeit, which shifts the focus from 'congratulations' to wishing them 'all the best'.
Examples in context
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum neuen Haus!Congratulations on your new home!This sentence is useful for seeing how to congratulate someone on a new home using the form herzlichen Glückwunsch.Tatoeba #12407407 by Waldelfe, translation #10266916 by AlanF_US
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Sie haben gewonnen!Congratulations, you won!This sentence shows how to use herzlichen Glückwunsch when announcing a win.Tatoeba #8804067 by wolfgangth, translation #8311738 by Ooneykcall
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch! Sie haben gewonnen.Congratulations! You won.This sentence demonstrates a standalone use of herzlichen Glückwunsch.Tatoeba #8804068 by wolfgangth, translation #8320980 by CK
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem neuen Job! Du hast es verdient.Congratulations on your new job! You deserve it.
- Ich gratuliere Ihnen herzlich zu Ihrer Auszeichnung. Sie haben hart dafür gearbeitet.I congratulate you warmly on your award. You've worked hard for it.
- Mein herzlicher Glückwunsch zu Ihrem erfolgreichen Projektabschluss. Ihre Leistung ist beeindruckend.My heartfelt congratulations on the successful completion of your project. Your performance is impressive.
- Super gemacht! Du hast die Präsentation hervorragend gemeistert.Well done! You handled the presentation excellently.
- Ich gratuliere dir von Herzen zu deiner Verlobung. Ihr seid ein wunderbares Paar.I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on your engagement. You are a wonderful couple.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian has just finished his first marathon.
- LauraHerzlichen Glückwunsch zum ersten Marathon!Congratulations on your first marathon!
- JulianVielen Dank, Laura!Thank you very much, Laura!
- LauraDu bist sehr schnell gelaufen.You ran very fast.
- JulianDas war wirklich anstrengend.That was really exhausting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “congratulations” translations and entries herzlichen Glückwunsch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Glückwunsch, herzlichen Glückwunsch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
