Do you have a Spanish friend that just gave birth to a baby? Got a new job promotion? Or moved into a new house? ¡Felicidades! And I am sure you want to wish them congratulations too in Spanish! Don’t worry because we’ve got you covered! (winks)
In this article, we are going to look at different ways to say congratulations in the Spanish language and popular examples of how to use these congratulatory words in the right context. So, if you have Spanish speakers as friends or you are just an enthusiastic Spanish learner, read on to find out more!
Ways To Say Congratulations In Spanish
A Quick Overview
Before we dive deep into exploring the words and how to say congratulations in Spanish, let’s quickly take a quick overview of all the words we will learn in this article. You should keep in mind that these congratulatory Spanish words may vary depending on different Spanish-speaking countries, but not to worry, we will also cover that in this article.
A Deep Dive
Now, let’s take a closer look at each congratulations word and the best context to use them.
Felicidades
The most common word for saying congratulations in Spanish and all Spanish-speaking countries is Felicidades, which means congrats or congratulation. The term can be used for almost any scenario and is often preferred for new Spanish learners. Moreover, it is easy to understand.
Felicidades are usually used to celebrate an event, an anniversary, or a joyful happening in someone’s life, such as a birthday, a baby warming, a new house, and so much more.
What makes Felicidades more versatile is that they can pass for both formal and informal contexts. So, you can say Felicidades in a business or casual meeting.
Examples
- Felicidades por tu ascenso. – Congratulations on your promotion
- ¡Felicidades por el nacimiento de tu hijo! – Congratulations on the birth of your son!
- Felicidades por tu aniversario de bodas. – Congratulations on your wedding anniversary
Muchas Felicidades
Muchas Felicidades means many congratulations or big congratulations, usually used to express your large heart of happiness. You can take it a step further and say Muchas Felicidades instead of Felicidades.
Felicitaciones
Felicitaciones is another popular way of saying congratulations, but it is mainly used in Latin America, while Felicidades is the most preferred congratulatory word in European Spanish. Felicitaciones is excellent for congratulating someone who has achieved something in Latin America but would instead be replaced with Euhorabuena in European Spanish. However, if you find yourself in Latin America, Feliciitaciones is generally accepted.
Enhorabuena
While Enhorabuena and Felicidades may convey the same congratulatory message, Enhorabuena has a distinct use. Enhorabuena is considered more formal and is usually used when congratulating someone on a personal or professional achievement requiring dedicated effort. For example, you should use Enhorabuena when congratulating someone for a promotion, graduation, award-winning, or any other success story that requires dedicated effort. However, Felicidades can also fit into any of these occasions.
So, you shouldn’t use Enhorabuena when celebrating holidays or wishing someone a happy birthday. It is better to stick with Felicidades.
Examples
Feliz
A great alternative to Felicidades or Enhorabuena is Feliz which means happy or merry. It is just like the English way of saying Happy birthday, happy anniversary, etc., which means Feliz must be used with a noun for it to make sense. Here are some great examples
Examples
- Feliz año nuevo – Happy New Year
- Feliz cumpleaños – Happy birthday
- Feliz navidad – Merry Christmas
- Feliz aniversario – Happy anniversary
- Felices fiestas – Happy Holidays
- Feliz día de gracias – Happy Thanksgiving
Me Da Gustor Por Ti
Me da gustor por ti means I am happy for you, which is another great way to express your happiness. Me da gustor por ti is suitable for both formal and informal situations. It can be used in any context, whether you are congratulating someone on their graduation, new job, or marriage. However, when using Me da gustor por ti, note that it is more suitable if you have a personal relationship with the person.
Bonus: Te Felicito
Te felicito means I congratulate you and can also mean congratulations, depending on the context.
Examples
- Te felicito por tu nuevo trabajo. – Congratulations on your new job.
- Te felicito por tu recuperación. – I congratulate you on your recovery.
Other Ways To Say Congratulations
There is no fixed way to say congratulations in Spanish. You can decide to spice things up as you proceed in your Spanish language learning journey. To help you have a new way of congratulating someone, apart from the popular Felicidades, I have listed other popular ways to say congratulations in Spanish. Check it out
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
| Well done | Bien hecho. | |
| Well done my friend | Bien hecho amigo. | |
| How exciting! | ¡Qué emoción! | |
| I am so happy for you | Qué feliz estoy por ti. | |
| What good news | Qué buena noticia. | |
| Many blessings | Muchas bendiciones. | |
| Cheers | Salud | |
| Keep on the hard work | Sigue trabajando duro. | |
| Good for you | Bien por ti. | |
| I have never doubted you | Nunca he dudado de ti. | |
| Fantastic | Fantástico. | |
| Best wishes | Mejores deseos. |
Popular Congratulatory Phrases For Different Occasions
Let’s take a closer look at some popular phrases you can easily say when someone is celebrating a special occasion in their lives.
Birthday
Wedding/Anniversary
Felicidades! You Made It To The End!
Yay! You got to the end of the article. I and sure you were able to pick up one or two Spanish phrases that you can use for your next congratulations! You should also be able to say thank you in case you are at the receiving end of the congratulations! Spanish is a beautiful language that doesn’t just stop at congratulations. There are more words you can learn. The Ling App is available if you are interested in learning more Spanish.
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It even comes with a daily reminder to ensure you stay dedicated to your learning journey. With the Ling App, you can learn Spanish and 60+ languages on the go.
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