Knowing how to say congratulations in French can make an impact on someone’s life. Whether you’re a tourist, an expat, or a long-term resident in a French-speaking country, offering even a simple congratulations to locals will be appreciated. Before saying anything, you must consider local customs and cultural differences. Consider the following before you say congratulations in French:
- Is this a formal or informal situation?
- Who are you congratulating? People you know, family, or strangers?
- Why do you wish someone congratulations? What is the situation?
Seems like a fun thing to learn about? We’ll go over the basics, including some grammar points on how to best wish congratulations in French. Let’s go!
How To Say Congratulations In French
The French word for “congratulations” is félicitations [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]félicitations[/Speechword]
However, today it’s mainly the older generations that will say this. That’s not to suggest you shouldn’t use it! It’s just that there are more common phrases used that we’ll go over later in this article. French is a language with many rules, especially when it comes to grammar and conjugations. Here is how you would conjugate félicitations in French:
Pronoun | Conjugated Verb | English Translation |
(I) Je | Félicite | I congratulate |
(You) Tu | Félicites | You congratulate |
(He, She, It) Il, elle, on | Félicite | He, she, it, we congratulate |
(We) Nous | Félicitons | We congratulate |
(You) Vous | Félicitez | You congratulate |
(They) Ils,elles | Félicitent | They congratulate |
Now let’s look at a few common phrases to wish congratulations in French.
General Ways To Say Congratulations In French

These are the more common ways that French people use to wish each other congrats. You should consider these informal ways to say congratulations and only use them with French friends or people you know.
Bien joué
In English, bien joué means “well played.”
It’s a phrase you use in any sporting or gaming event to say to your opponent or the winner. It’s a simple way to say congratulations. For example, if you were in a football match, at the end of the game, you would shake hands with your opponents and wish them bien joué.
Bravo
Bravo is actually borrowed from the Italians and has become a standard and casual way to offer congratulations in French. It translates to well done or congrats. To use bravo, you say it as a single word, which can be used in any situation.
Chapeau
Okay, so yes, while chapeau directly translates to “hat” in English, don’t worry! When you say chapeau to people, you’re not yelling at them. That would be hilarious, though.
The term originates from the phrase, “Hats off to you!” This is an informal way in English to wish someone well. In French, it’s used to express the idea of “well done” when people accomplish small achievements and, like bravo, is used on its own as a single word.
Now let’s learn ways to offer more sincere congratulations, which would be used to provide formal congratulations in French.
Je Tiens à Vous Féliciter Pour…
In English, this translates to “I have to congratulate you for….”
This is a great phrase to use with people you don’t know very well or in a professional setting. It needs to be completed, though, because you’re offering well wishes.
Tous Mes Compliments
This translates to “All my compliments” and can be altered to be used in various situations, such as:
- tous nous compliments (all our congratulations)
- tous mes compliments (all my congratulations)
Je Vous Félicite
You would use this phrase formally to say, “I congratulate you.” Usually, you would add what you’re congratulating for, such as Je vous félicite pour votre promotion (I congratulate you on your promotion.)
Congratulation Wishes In French For Different Occasions
Here are different lists of wishes that you can use according to the occasion.
French Congratulation Phrases For Weddings Or Engagements

Attending a wedding? Did someone you know get engaged? These are some ways you can congratulate the m on these big moments.
English | French Translation | Pronunciation |
Congratulations on your engagement! | Félicitations pour vos fiançailles! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour vos fiançailles![/Speechword] |
Cheers to the new couple | Bravo au nouveau couple | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bravo au nouveau couple[/Speechword] |
Let me start by wishing you a happy engagement. | Permettez-moi de commencer par vous souhaiter de joyeuses fiançailles | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Permettez-moi de commencer par vous souhaiter de joyeuses fiançailles[/Speechword] |
Cheers to your wedding! | Vive votre mariage! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Vive votre mariage ![/Speechword] |
Congratulations to the future couple | Félicitations au futur couple | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations au futur couple[/Speechword] |
French Congratulation Wishes For Job Success

Whether it’s a friend or a colleague who has made great achievements at work, here are some phrases to offer your support in a job well done.
English | French Translation | Pronunciation |
You did a great job | Vous avez fait un très bon travail | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Vous avez fait un très bon travail[/Speechword] |
Good luck with your new job | Bonne chance avec votre nouveau travail | [Speechword voice=”Danish Female” isinline]Bonne chance avec votre nouveau travail[/Speechword] |
Congratulations on your promotion | Félicitations pour votre promotion | [Speechword voice=”Danish Female” isinline]Félicitations pour votre promotion[/Speechword] |
Cheers to your new work life | Vive votre nouvelle vie professionnelle | [Speechword voice=”Danish Female” isinline]Vive votre nouvelle vie professionnelle[/Speechword] |
Congrats! You got the dream job | Félicitations! Tu as le job de rêve | [Speechword voice=”Danish Female” isinline]Félicitations! Tu as le job de rêve[/Speechword] |
Congratulations. You deserve this promotion | Toutes nos félicitations. Vous méritez cette promotion | [Speechword voice=”Danish Female” isinline]Toutes nos félicitations. Vous méritez cette promotion[/Speechword] |
French Congratulations For Graduation

Pretty well, every stage of schooling is celebrated with graduation, so you’re going to need these phrases if you’ve got friends with children or kids of your own.
English | French Translation | Pronunciation |
Congratulations on your graduation | Félicitations pour ton diplôme | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour ton diplôme[/Speechword] |
Congratulations on your diploma | Félicitations pour votre diplôme | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour votre diplôme[/Speechword] |
You did it! Congrats! | Tu l’as fait! Félicitations! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Tu l’as fait! Félicitations![/Speechword] |
Congrats to the new graduate | Félicitations au nouveau diplômé | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations au nouveau diplômé[/Speechword] |
You deserve the praise | Vous méritez les éloges | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Vous méritez les éloges[/Speechword] |
You worked hard. Congratulations | Tu as travaillé dur. Toutes nos félicitations | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Tu as travaillé dur. Toutes nos félicitations[/Speechword] |
All the best to your future | Tout le meilleur pour votre avenir | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Tout le meilleur pour votre avenir[/Speechword] |
Congratulation Wishes For Motherhood In French

Having a child is a huge moment. Congratulations are appreciated when a new bundle of joy enters someone’s life.
English | French Translation | Pronunciation |
Welcome to motherhood | Bienvenue à la maternité | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bienvenue à la maternité[/Speechword] |
Congratulations on becoming parents | Félicitations pour être devenus parents | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour être devenus parents[/Speechword] |
Wishing your family all the best | Je souhaite le meilleur à ta famille | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je souhaite le meilleur à ta famille[/Speechword] |
Congrats on your new baby | Félicitations pour votre nouveau bébé | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour votre nouveau bébé[/Speechword] |
Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby girl/boy | Félicitations pour l’arrivée de votre nouveau bébé fille/garçon | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour l’arrivée de votre nouveau bébé fille/garçon[/Speechword] |
Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby boy | Félicitations pour l’arrivée de votre nouveau bébé garçon | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour l’arrivée de votre nouveau bébé garçon[/Speechword] |
Congratualtions on the new arrival | Félicitations pour la nouvelle arrivée | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Félicitations pour la nouvelle arrivée[/Speechword] |
Congrats! You Made It (Félicitations! Tu l’as fait)
Now know some of the best and easiest ways to congratulate someone in French in all sorts of situations. There is, of course, more to learn about the French language related to this topic, such as:
- How to wish people a happy birthday
- How to say cheers
- How to say thank you
Do you know how you can learn these topics quickly? With the Ling app, of course!
Learn French With Ling App

Learning with Ling is like learning through play. Our app takes learning seriously but does so in an engaging way. It has entertaining features to keep you coming back day in and day out.
Over 10 million people have downloaded Ling, so head on over to the Apple Store or Play Store to see what people are saying about it. Ling is one of the easy-to-use language apps today that will make you a French speaker. Best of all, you can try it for free! So, what are you waiting for? Download Ling and learn French today!