How to Say Congratulations in Spanish (+ Variations You'll Hear)

Congratulations in Spanish is ¡felicidades! — at least in Mexico, where it’s the all-purpose cheer for weddings, graduations, new jobs, new babies, and birthdays alike. You’ll also meet two siblings: ¡felicitaciones!, preferred in much of South America, and ¡enhorabuena!, the Spain classic. All three are correct Spanish; knowing which one to reach for (and when) is what this guide is for. One thing that is never correct: “congratulaciones.” That word doesn’t exist.

The main way to say it

¡Felicidades! — pronounced feh-lee-see-DAH-dehs.

What’s going on inside the word:

• It’s the plural of felicidad (happiness) — so you’re literally showering someone with “happinesses.” Spanish congratulates in the plural, the same instinct behind buenos días and muchas gracias.
• In Mexican Spanish the c before i/e is a clean s sound: feh-lee-see-DAH-dehs. No Castilian lisp needed.
• Stress on DAH: the -dades ending follows the regular rule (words ending in -s stress the second-to-last syllable).

To say what you’re congratulating someone for, use por: ¡Felicidades por tu nuevo trabajo! (congratulations on your new job), ¡Felicidades por el bebé! And to make it personal, switch to the verb felicitar: ¡Te felicito! (“I congratulate you!”) — which in Mexico often carries even more sincerity than the noun.

Variations

Phrase	Meaning / flavor	Where and when
¡Felicidades!	Congratulations!	The Mexican default — any good news, plus birthdays
¡Muchas felicidades!	Big congratulations!	Warmer, extremely common in Mexico
¡Felicitaciones!	Congratulations!	More common in South America; understood in Mexico
¡Enhorabuena!	Congratulations! (lit. “in good hour”)	Spain’s go-to; sounds noticeably peninsular in Mexico
¡Te felicito! / ¡Lo felicito!	I congratulate you (informal / formal)	Personal and sincere — great for real achievements
¡Qué buena noticia!	What great news!	Reacting to an announcement
¡Bien hecho!	Well done!	For a job well executed
¡Órale, qué bien!	Wow, that’s great!	Pure Mexican enthusiasm, casual
¡Eso! / ¡Así se hace!	That’s it! / That’s how it’s done!	Cheering someone on, casual
¡Muy merecido!	Well deserved!	The classy add-on after any of the above

Felicidades vs. felicitaciones — the real difference. Both are correct. The practical Mexican rule: felicidades covers everything, including birthdays and general joy (¡felicidades a los novios! at a wedding), while felicitaciones leans toward formal recognition of a specific achievement and is heard more in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Colombia. In Mexico, when in doubt, say felicidades — it is never wrong.

Enhorabuena is lovely and you should recognize it, but it’s strongly associated with Spain. Congratulate your Mexican friend with ¡enhorabuena! and they’ll understand perfectly — and possibly ask if you learned Spanish in Madrid.

Hear it in context

A friend announces a new job (casual, Mexican):

— ¿Ya les conté? ¡Me dieron el puesto en Monterrey! — ¡¿En serio?! ¡Órale, qué bien! ¡Muchas felicidades! — Gracias, todavía no me la creo. — Te lo mereces. Esto hay que celebrarlo.

Did I tell you guys? They gave me the job in Monterrey! — Seriously?! Wow, that’s great! Congratulations! — Thanks, I still can’t believe it. — You deserve it. This calls for a celebration.

At a graduation (warm-formal):

— Licenciada Torres, la felicito. Muy merecido este título. — Muchas gracias, profesor. No lo habría logrado sin sus consejos. — Felicidades también a la familia. Deben estar muy orgullosos.

Ms. Torres, congratulations. This degree is well deserved. — Thank you so much, professor. I couldn’t have done it without your guidance. — Congratulations to the family as well. You must be very proud.

Common mistakes

• “Congratulaciones.” The false friend to end all false friends. It doesn’t exist in Spanish. It’s felicidades or felicitaciones.
• “Felicidades por” vs. “felicidades para.” It’s por: felicidades por tu graduación. (Para would aim the congratulations at a recipient: felicidades para tu mamá = “congratulations to your mom.”)
• Treating “felicidades” as birthday-only. It’s the opposite — it works for every occasion. If anything, learners under-use it for promotions, engagements, and good news generally.
• “Enhorabuena” in Mexico expecting it to sound native. It’s correct Spanish, but in Mexico it flags Spain. Match your variety: this site teaches Mexican Spanish, so lead with felicidades.
• Forgetting the exclamation energy. A flat, murmured felicidades reads as sarcasm. This word comes with enthusiasm included — deliver it that way.

Related phrases

Good news travels in packs:

• How to say happy birthday in Spanish — where felicidades and feliz cumpleaños meet, plus Las Mañanitas.
• How to say thank you in Spanish — what to answer when the felicidades are for you.
• Round out your everyday repertoire with common Spanish phrases.

FAQ

What’s the difference between felicidades and felicitaciones? Both mean congratulations. Felicidades is the Mexican all-rounder (achievements and birthdays); felicitaciones is more common in South America and leans toward formal recognition of achievements.

Can I say “felicidades” for a birthday? Absolutely — in Mexico ¡muchas felicidades! is one of the most common birthday greetings, alongside ¡feliz cumpleaños!

How do I respond to “felicidades”? ¡Muchas gracias! is all you need. Warmer options: gracias, significa mucho (“thanks, it means a lot”) or gracias, aún no me la creo (“thanks, I still can’t believe it”).

Is “enhorabuena” wrong in Latin America? Not wrong — just marked. It’s understood everywhere but strongly associated with Spain; in Mexico, felicidades is the natural choice.

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The difference between knowing felicidades and delivering it with the right timing and energy is practice — and Sofia, an AI Spanish tutor you can celebrate (and rehearse) with out loud, gives you unlimited reps.