Say it in Spanish

How to say congratulations in Spanish to a colleague.

Not a dictionary line: the phrases Spanish speakers use for a colleague, what each means, and 5 complete messages by a native speaker — each one a tap away from a card in Spanish.

Quick answer

“¡Enhorabuena!” (“Congratulations!”) is the line, and for a colleague “¡Felicidades!” (“Congratulations!”) adds warmth. Below: 5 full congratulations messages for a colleague, written by a Spanish speaker.

Enhorabuena: lo tuyo ha sido trabajo fino y constante, y por fin se ve. Muy merecido.

Congratulations messages in Spanish for a colleague

Para felicitar a un compañero de trabajo por un logro, sé concreto: di qué consiguió y por qué tiene mérito. En la oficina, que alguien lo nombre en alto vale oro.

Enhorabuena: lo tuyo ha sido trabajo fino y constante, y por fin se ve. Muy merecido.
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Qué alegría verte conseguirlo. Trabajar contigo es aprender; que lo reconozcan era cuestión de tiempo.
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Te lo has ganado a pulso y delante de todos. Enhorabuena, y a por lo siguiente.
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El equipo entero se alegra, y yo el primero. Enhorabuena por este logro tan currado.
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Pocas noticias han sentado tan bien por aquí. Enhorabuena: mérito tuyo de principio a fin.
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The Spanish phrases, and when each one fits

Spanish is informal ('tú') almost everywhere a card is involved — family, friends, colleagues. 'Usted' is for a client or an elder you address formally; in Latin America it is more common than in Spain.

  • ¡Enhorabuena! — “Congratulations!”. Spain's word for an achievement — job, exam, house.
  • ¡Felicidades! — “Congratulations!”. Universal, and the word in Latin America.
  • ¡Muy bien hecho! — “Very well done!”. For an achievement.
  • Te lo mereces. — “You deserve it.”. A promotion, a result.
  • ¡Enhorabuena por el bebé! — “Congratulations on the baby!”. A new baby.
  • Estoy muy orgulloso / orgullosa de ti. — “I'm very proud of you.”. Family — 'orgulloso' if you are a man, 'orgullosa' if you are a woman.

Questions people ask

Can I write to a colleague in English with a Spanish opening?

Yes — open with “¡Enhorabuena!”, write what you want to say in English, and sign off in Spanish: Un abrazo, or Un abrazo fuerte,. For a colleague the effort lands harder than the grammar.

Formal or informal for a colleague?

Spanish is informal ('tú') almost everywhere a card is involved — family, friends, colleagues. 'Usted' is for a client or an elder you address formally; in Latin America it is more common than in Spain.

How do I sign off?

Un abrazo, · Un abrazo fuerte, · Con cariño, · Besos, · Un saludo, — warmest first.

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