Spanish word

felicitar

Pronunciation

IPA/feliθiˈtaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbcongratulate

Example

Voy a felicitar a María por su boda.

I am going to congratulate María on her wedding.

Illustration for felicitar (congratulate)

More examples

Quiero felicitar en persona a mis colegas por el éxito del proyecto.

I want to congratulate my colleagues in person on the success of the project.

Core concept

A speaker aloud offering congratulations to a colleague at a small celebration.

Common phrases

  • felicitar en persona

    congratulate in person

  • felicitar por teléfono

    congratulate by phone

  • felicitar públicamente

    congratulate publicly

Similar words

congratular: Congratulate a person on a specific accomplishment, success, or important milestone.
dar la enhorabuena: Verbally express congratulations to mark someone's happy event or news.
felicitarse: Share and receive congratulations between people following achievements or celebrations.

Definition in Spanish

Manifestar verbalmente felicitación o buenos deseos a alguien por un suceso positivo.

Word origin

From Latin fēlix ('happy') via fēlicitās, with Spanish adding the -ar suffix to create a verb that denotes voicing congratulations or good wishes to another person.

Usage tips

  • The English verb 'to felicitate' is real but unusually formal, so Spanish felicitar is the neutral, everyday verb for birthdays, promotions, and similar events.

Opposites

Related words

  • felicitacióncongratulatory speechnoun
  • felicitatoriocongratulatoryadjective

Word lists with this word