Yuliya Geikhman Last updated: 7 Ways to Say “Congratulations” in Spanish for All Occasions
Whether you’re celebrating a big accomplishment like graduation or a small victory like acing a quiz, knowing how to say “congratulations” in Spanish is the perfect way to show your support. But with so many options, where do you start?
First we’ve got the most common phrases like the ever-versatile Felicidades , then we delve into more nuanced expressions like Enhorabuena and Bien hecho. Plus, check out how to congratulate someone on specific achievements and more.
Contents
- 1. ¡Felicidades! — Congrats!
- 2. ¡Felicitaciones! — Congratulations!
- 3. ¡Enhorabuena! — Congratulations! (Old-fashioned)
- 4. ¡Bien hecho! — Well done!
- 5. ¡Bravo! — Bravo!
- 6. ¡Buen trabajo! — Great job!
- 7. ¡Feliz…! — Happy/Merry … !
- Congratulations for Specific Occasions
- And One More Thing…
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1. ¡Felicidades! — Congrats!
Felicidades is a general term you can use for any kind of happy occasion, big or small.
You can also say “¡Felicidades!” on its own, without any specific reason, to simply express your happiness for someone.
Examples:
¡Felicidades por graduarte! — Congratulations on graduating!
¡Felicidades por la boda! — Congratulations on the wedding!
¡Felicidades, eres un gran cantante! — Congrats, you’re a great singer!
2. ¡Felicitaciones! — Congratulations!
Felicitaciones is a more formal version of felicidades. It’s typically used in more serious or professional contexts, such as congratulating someone on a job promotion or a major accomplishment.
Examples:
Felicitaciones por su nuevo puesto como gerente. — Congratulations on your new position as manager.
Felicitaciones por su boda. — Congratulations on your wedding.
Felicitaciones, el trabajo es suyo. — Congratulations, the job is yours.
3. ¡Enhorabuena! — Congratulations! (Old-fashioned)
This expression carries almost the same meaning as felicitaciones, although enhorabuena is more commonly used to congratulate on personal or professional achievements. It’s particularly appropriate for significant accomplishments like graduations, awards, promotions or reaching important milestones.
It’s a bit of an old-fashioned expression nowadays, though, so in cases like these you may hear people using felicidades or felicitaciones instead.
Examples:
¡Enhorabuena por graduarte con honores! — Congratulations on graduating with honors!
¡Enhorabuena, Alma, eres nuestra ganadora! — Congratulations, Alma, you’re our winner!
4. ¡Bien hecho! — Well done!
This congratulatory phrase is perfect for acknowledging specific tasks, goals or challenges someone has successfully completed. Use it when someone has performed something particularly well, showcasing their abilities or talent.
It’s a casual phrase that’s suited for everyday situations and praising ongoing efforts.
Examples:
¡Bien hecho, terminaste el proyecto a tiempo! — Well done, you finished the project on time!
¡Bien hecho, chicos!, hicieron un gran trabajo. — Well done, guys! You did a great job.
5. ¡Bravo! — Bravo!
Bravo is often used when congratulating someone for a performance, presentation, public speaking or showcasing their artistry in any form. Think of it as applauding their skill and expression. It’s typically used in a more theatrical or artistic context, and is less common in everyday situations.
Examples:
¡Bravo, tu actuación en la obra fue fenomenal! — Bravo, your performance in the play was phenomenal!
¡Qué bella interpretación de piano!, ¡bravo, bravo! — What a beautiful piano performance! Bravo, bravo!
6. ¡Buen trabajo! — Great job!
While “Buen trabajo!” (Great job!) does convey congratulations in Spanish, it doesn’t carry the same weight as directly saying felicidades or other specific congratulatory phrases.
This expression focuses on the quality of someone’s work, highlighting their effort, skill and successful execution. It’s less about the overall achievement itself and more about the process and how it was accomplished.
While it’s not a direct replacement for felicidades if you want to simply congratulate someone on an achievement, you can use it in situations where the quality of the work itself deserves recognition.
Examples:
¡Buen trabajo con la presentación, Gabriel! — Great job on the presentation, Gabriel!
¡Buen trabajo, amigos! Hora de ir a casa. — Fantastic teamwork, you achieved a phenomenal result!
7. ¡Feliz…! — Happy/Merry … !
When celebrating a holiday or festivity, you’ll probably use an expression with feliz in it to congratulate others on those special occasions. Some common expressions include “¡Feliz cumpleaños!”, “¡Feliz Navidad!” and “¡Feliz Año Nuevo!”
Examples:
¡Feliz aniversario! — Happy anniversary!
¡Feliz Navidad a todos! — Merry Christmas to all!
If the expression uses a plural noun, the plural of “feliz” (“felices”) is used instead:
¡Felices fiestas, amigos! — Happy holidays, friends
¡Felices quince años, Dora! — Happy 15th birthday, Dora! (Lit. “Happy 15 years, Dora!”)
Congratulations for Specific Occasions
If you’re congratulating someone on a specific achievement or life milestone, you can combine the congratulatory words and phrases above with the specific situation. Check out some specific examples below, and find even more through the context of FluentU’s authentic learning program.
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Birthday:
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños! — Happy birthday!
- ¡Felicidades en tu día! — Congratulations on your day!
- ¡Que tengas un día lleno de alegría y amor! — May you have a day full of joy and love!
Graduation:
- ¡Felicidades por tu graduación! — Congratulations on your graduation!
- ¡Enhorabuena por este logro académico! — Congratulations on this academic achievement!
- ¡Bien hecho, graduado! — Well done, graduate!
- ¡Te felicito por tu éxito académico! — I congratulate you on your academic success!
Job promotion:
- ¡Enhorabuena por tu ascenso! — Congratulations on your promotion!
- ¡Felicidades por tu nuevo puesto! — Congratulations on your new position!
- ¡Te deseo mucho éxito en tu nuevo rol! — I wish you much success in your new role!
Wedding:
- ¡Felicidades por tu boda! — Congratulations on your wedding!
- ¡Les deseo una vida llena de amor y felicidad! — Wishing you a life full of love and happiness!
- ¡Enhorabuena a los recién casados! — Congratulations to the newlyweds!
- ¡Que tengan una vida llena de amor y felicidad juntos! — May you have a life full of love and happiness together!
Birth of a baby:
- ¡Felicidades por la llegada del bebé! — Congratulations on the arrival of the baby!
- ¡Bienvenido al mundo, pequeño! — Welcome to the world, little one!
- ¡Felicidades a los nuevos papás! — Congratulations to the new parents!
- ¡Que este bebé llene sus vidas de amor y alegría! — May this baby fill your lives with love and joy!
Sports victory:
- ¡Gran actuación en el campo! — Great performance on the field!
- ¡Felicidades por ganar el partido! — Congratulations on winning the game!
- ¡Buen trabajo, campeones! — Great job, champions!
Business success:
- ¡Felicitaciones por el éxito de tu negocio! — Congratulations on the success of your business!
- ¡Bien hecho en tus emprendimientos! — Well done in your ventures!
- ¡Felicidades por alcanzar tus metas empresariales! — Congratulations on reaching your business goals!
Achievement or award:
- ¡Felicidades por tu logro! — Congratulations on your achievement!
- ¡Te lo mereces por tu dedicación! — You deserve it for your dedication!
- ¡Felicidades por tu éxito! — Congratulations on your success!
- ¡Que sigan los éxitos! — May the successes continue!
Congratulations on finishing this post about how to say “congratulations” in Spanish! Next time you want to celebrate someone for their achievements, you can do so in Spanish.
And One More Thing…
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