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In Portuguese, the most used word to congratulate someone is PARABÉNS! (CONGRATULATIONS!) This word can be used in any situation.
For example, if someone is celebrating a birthday, got a new job, or is going to have a baby, we can just say “Parabéns!” (“Congratulations!”)
In addition to the word “Parabéns!”, we usually add other sentences to indicate what you wish to that person in that special situation.
Here are some sentences you can use to congratulate someone who is celebrating a birthday.
– Meus parabéns! Tudo de bom! (Congratulations! I wish you all the best!)
– Parabéns! Muitas felicidades! Muitos anos de vida! (Congratulations! I wish you a lot of happiness and long life!)
– Parabéns! Desejo muita paz e muita saúde! (Congratulations! I wish you a lot of peace and good health!)
– Meus parabéns! Que seu dia seja perfeito! (Congratulations! May your day be perfect!)
– Meus parabéns! Aproveite o seu dia! (Congratulations! Enjoy your day!)
Another very common sentence used to congratulate a person who is celebrating a birthday is FELIZ ANIVERSÁRIO! ( HAPPY BIRTHDAY!).
You can also add other sentences to indicate what you wish to that person for their birthday. Here are some examples:
– Feliz aniversário! Muitas felicidades! Muitos anos de vida! (Happy Birthday! I wish you a lot of happiness and long life!)
– Feliz aniversário! Tudo de bom! Que todos seus sonhos se realizem! (Happy Birthday! I wish you all the best! May all your dreams come true!)
– Feliz aniversário! Desejo que você seja muito feliz e tenha muita saúde! (Happy Birthday! I wish you a lot of happiness and good health!)
Different from English, in Portuguese, the word “aniversário” means both “birthday” and “anniversary,” so we can say “Happy anniversary!” to congratulate someone on their birthday or wedding anniversary, but when we refer to a wedding anniversary, we are usually specific and say:
– Feliz aniversário de casamento! (Happy Wedding Anniversary!)
Now let’s talk a little bit about how to congratulate a person in other situations, such as when someone gets a new job, passes a test, gets married, or buys a new house.
Let’s look at some examples of sentences you can use in many different contexts:
– Parabéns! Você merece! (Congratulations! You deserve it!)
– Parabéns pela conquista! (Congratulations on the achievement!)
– Parabéns! Boa sorte nessa nova etapa! (Congratulations! Best of luck in this new phase!
– Tudo de bom pra você! (All the best to you!)
– Parabéns! Desejo muito sucesso! (Congratulations! I wish you a lot of success!)
– Parabéns! Estou muito feliz por você! (Congratulations! I’m very happy for you!)
To be specific, you can also say “parabéns por (congratulations on)…” something. But pay attention to a grammar detail, if the next word is:
– A feminine noun, you should say “parabéns PELA (congratulations on)”.
– A masculine noun, you should say “parabéns PELO (congratulations on)“.
– A verb, you can say “parabéns POR (congratulations on)”.
Some examples:
– Parabéns pelo casamento! (Congratulations on your wedding!)
– Parabéns pelo novo emprego! (Congratulations on your new job!)
– Parabéns pela casa nova! (Congratulations on the new house!)
– Parabéns pela iniciativa! (Congratulations on the initiative!)
– Parabéns por ter passado no teste! (Congratulations on passing the test!)
– Parabéns por ser um estudante dedicado! (Congratulations on being a dedicated student!)
That’s it, guys! Now it’s homework time! Write a sentence below congratulating a friend on their birthday or another situation that deserves to be celebrated.
Also if you want to practice and improve your Portuguese in a month, sign up for the 30-day challenge for free on: www.speakingbrazilian.com/30-day-challenge/
Até a próxima!
Your teacher,
Virginia
