{"id":70518,"date":"2020-06-22T22:04:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T02:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/congratulations-in-italian\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T04:16:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T09:16:37","slug":"congratulations-in-italian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/italian\/congratulations-in-italian\/","title":{"rendered":"Congratulations in Italian: 12 Key Phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"

While complimenti<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0is the go-to phrase for “congratulations” in Italian, there are actually other ways to wish others well in the language.<\/p>\n

How do you know which saying is best for your situation? Let me\u00a0break down each word and phrase for you. I’ll also include examples of how to use these in conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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Basic Ways to Say Congratulations in Italian<\/h2>\n

To begin, we’ll discuss several standard ways to congratulate someone in Italian.<\/p>\n

Complimenti! <\/em>\u2014 Congratulations\/Well done<\/h3>\n

Complimenti<\/em> is the most common way to say congratulations in Italian.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It literally translates to “compliments” and lets you acknowledge what the other speaker has achieved. Because complimenti <\/em>is such a versatile saying, you can use it to congratulate someone on anything from a wedding to a job promotion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Additionally, Italians use complimenti <\/em>to convey a sense of appreciation towards the other person. Whether you’re complimenting your friend’s new outfit or their English speaking abilities, you can use complimenti <\/em>to let them know that their efforts didn’t go unrecognized.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples of how to use complimenti <\/em>in Italian conversation:<\/p>\n

Complimenti per la laurea!<\/em>
\n(Congratulations on your graduation!)<\/p>\n

Complimenti, tu canti molto bene.<\/em>
\n(Amazing, you sing very well!)<\/p>\n

Bravo! \/ Brava! <\/em>\u2014 Good job<\/h3>\n

No matter how well you know Italian, you’re probably familiar with the common saying, bravo\/a<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This word is even more versatile than complimenti <\/em>and can be used in countless situations. Not only is bravo\/a <\/em>completely suitable for special occasions, it’s also a good word to use when you want to let someone know they’ve done a great job.<\/strong> For example, you might say bravo\/a <\/em>to an English learner after they successfully string together a complex sentence in English.<\/p>\n

Complimenti, <\/em>on the other hand, would only be appropriate in that context if you followed it with an expression of praise. For example:<\/p>\n

Complimenti, parli molto bene l’inglese!
\n<\/em>(Wow, you speak English very well!)<\/p>\n

If you wish to congratulate someone by telling them bravo\/a, <\/em>it’s sufficient to use the word all on its own.<\/strong> Remember to say bravo <\/em>if you’re addressing a male speaker and brava <\/em>if you’re addressing a female speaker.<\/p>\n

Congratulazioni! <\/em>\u2014 Congratulations (for official events)<\/h3>\n

Unlike the previous two sayings, congratulazioni<\/em>\u00a0is considered a more formal way to express congratulations in Italian.<\/p>\n

It’s worth noting that congratulazioni<\/em> is more commonly seen in written language as opposed to everyday speech. However, if you wish to congratulate someone in a more official manner, <\/strong>congratulazioni <\/em>is an appropriate choice.<\/p>\n

These example sentences illustrate how to use congratulazioni <\/em>properly:<\/p>\n

Congratulazioni per il vostro matrimonio!
\n<\/em>(Congratulations on your wedding!)<\/p>\n

Congratulazioni per la promozione di lavoro!<\/em>
\n(Congratulations on the job promotion!)<\/p>\n

Felicitazioni! <\/em>\u2014 Congratulations (very formal)<\/h3>\n

Felicitazioni<\/em> derives from the Italian word felicit\u00e0, <\/em>which means “happiness.”<\/p>\n

When you’re eager to express your joy about a happy occasion,<\/strong> you can use felicitazioni <\/em>to offer someone your heartfelt congratulations. In fact, Italians usually just use it for weddings, births or similar celebrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Felicitazioni per la nascita di vostro figlio!<\/em>
\n(Congratulations on the birth of your son!)\u00a0<\/p>\n

I recommend that you learn these expressions in context so that you’ll always know which situations call for which congratulations.<\/p>\n

You can keep an ear out for these phrases in your favorite Italian TV show<\/a> or try searching for them on a language learning program like FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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