Parabéns vs. Feliz Aniversário: Congratulate Someone in Portuguese — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use feliz aniversário to wish someone a happy birthday
Feliz aniversário is the direct birthday greeting. You can add a short wish with desejo a você or espero que seu dia seja… (I hope your day is…).
Parabéns is also common on birthdays, especially as a quick greeting or in the familiar birthday song. The two expressions can appear together.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Feliz aniversário! Espero que seu dia seja especial. | Happy birthday! I hope your day is special. |
| Parabéns pelo seu aniversário! | Congratulations on your birthday! |
| Manda um feliz aniversário para ela por mim. | Wish her a happy birthday for me. |
Use parabéns for achievements and good news
Parabéns can also congratulate someone for passing an exam, starting a new job, or completing a project. Add por + noun or pelo/pela when you name the reason.
A warm follow-up makes the message personal: diga what you are celebrating and why it matters to you.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Parabéns por ter passado na prova! | Congratulations on passing the exam! |
| Parabéns pelo novo emprego. | Congratulations on the new job. |
| Parabéns! Você trabalhou muito para chegar até aqui. | Congratulations! You worked hard to get here. |
Remember: Use feliz aniversário for the birthday wish; use parabéns for birthdays and other achievements or good news.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Happy birthday! I hope your day is special.
Show a Portuguese answer
Feliz aniversário! Espero que seu dia seja especial.
Congratulations on your birthday!
Show a Portuguese answer
Parabéns pelo seu aniversário!
Wish her a happy birthday for me.
Show a Portuguese answer
Manda um feliz aniversário para ela por mim.
Congratulations on passing the exam!
Show a Portuguese answer
Parabéns por ter passado na prova!
Congratulations on the new job.
Show a Portuguese answer
Parabéns pelo novo emprego.
Congratulations! You worked hard to get here.
Show a Portuguese answer
Parabéns! Você trabalhou muito para chegar até aqui.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use feliz aniversário for the birthday wish; use parabéns for birthdays and other achievements or good news.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Parabéns vs. Feliz Aniversário: Congratulate Someone in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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