How to say congratulations in Spanish to a friend.
Not a dictionary line: the phrases Spanish speakers use for a friend, what each means, and 5 complete messages by a native speaker — each one a tap away from a card in Spanish.
“¡Enhorabuena!” (“Congratulations!”) is the line, and for a friend “¡Felicidades!” (“Congratulations!”) adds warmth. Below: 5 full congratulations messages for a friend, written by a Spanish speaker.
¡Enhorabuena! Sé lo que te ha costado llegar hasta aquí, y por eso me alegro el doble.
Congratulations messages in Spanish for a friend
Cuando un amigo consigue algo grande, la enhorabuena se da con ganas. Dile que viste el esfuerzo y que te alegras de verdad: eso es lo que se guarda.
¡Enhorabuena! Sé lo que te ha costado llegar hasta aquí, y por eso me alegro el doble.
Lo tuyo no es suerte, es trabajo del bueno. A celebrarlo como Dios manda, que invito yo.
Qué alegría me has dado con la noticia. Te lo mereces enterito. ¡Enhorabuena, crack!
De los éxitos de mis amigos presumo, así que prepárate: voy a contarlo por ahí. Enhorabuena.
Siempre supe que lo conseguirías, pero verlo es otra cosa. Orgullosísimo de ti.
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 friend 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 friend the effort lands harder than the grammar.
Formal or informal for a friend?
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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