Congratulate someone

When someone shares good news, English speakers often react immediately with a short, warm phrase. The phrase is usually followed by a follow-up question or a personal comment. Below is a table of the most common congratulation phrases, what they mean, and a useful Arabic gloss to help you remember them.

How to use them in real life. Step one: react with a short, strong phrase like Congratulations! or That's wonderful news!. Step two: add a personal comment, for example You deserve it after all that hard work. Step three: ask a follow-up question such as When did you find out? or How are you going to celebrate?

Watch out for one common mistake: do not say I congratulate you in informal situations — it sounds very formal. In everyday English, Congratulations! on its own is the natural choice.

Cultural note. British English speakers often sound quite calm and matter-of-fact when congratulating someone. A simple Well done! with a smile is perfectly polite.

Two friends meet in a café. One has just heard some good news.

Read the phrase aloud. Keep the /ŋ/ sound at the end of 'congratulations' and 'happy'.

In this listening activity, you will hear two friends, Emma and Tom, talking in an office kitchen. Tom has just received some very good news about his job, and Emma is reacting to it. The conversation is informal and friendly.

Before you listen, take a second to think: What kinds of good news do people get at work? Promotion, new job, a pay rise, a successful project. Listen for the specific news Tom has received and how Emma congratulates him.

Listening tip. You do not need to understand every word. First, listen for the gist — what is the main topic? Then listen a second time for specific information — names, places, dates. Finally, listen a third time for details — small facts and feelings. This three-step approach helps you a lot, especially in real life when you only hear English once.

Emma meets Tom in the office kitchen. Listen for his good news.

What is the main topic of the conversation?

This lesson focuses on one very common English sound: /ŋ/. You can hear it in the word congratulations itself, in long, sing, think and English. Getting this sound right will make your spoken English sound much more natural.

How do you make /ŋ/? First, lift the back of your tongue and press it gently against the soft palate at the back of your mouth. Switch your voice on — you should feel a vibration in your throat and nose. Then let the air escape through your nose, not your mouth. The tip of your tongue must stay low and quiet. Do not add a /g/ sound after it; the air does not reach your mouth.

Many Arabic speakers say singing as sing-ging, or long as long-g. That extra /g/ is a common pronunciation error. To avoid it, keep the air flowing only through the nose and finish the word with your mouth nearly closed.

Listen carefully to these example words and notice where the /ŋ/ appears:

Tip: Practise the sound by humming mmmmm and slowly lifting the back of your tongue to touch the soft palate. Hold it for two seconds. That buzzing feeling in your nose is the /ŋ/ sound.

To make /ŋ/: back of the tongue touches the soft palate, voice is on, air comes out only through the nose. Do not add a /g/ after it. Feel a buzz in your nose, not your mouth.

Say the word slowly. Listen for the /ŋ/ at the end of 'congrat-' and inside '-ulations'.

Notice the /ŋ/ at the end of 'done' and 'doing'.

Hold the final /ŋ/ in 'happy' and 'for' — let the air leave through your nose.

In this section you will read a short announcement about a family celebration. The text is the kind of message you might find on a social media post or in a personal newsletter.

Strategy: Skimming for gist. When you skim a text, you read it quickly to get the general idea. You do not stop at every new word. Instead, read the first and last sentence of each paragraph and notice the title. The title and the first paragraph usually tell you what the text is about. The last paragraph usually tells you how the writer feels. Use this strategy to understand a text in under one minute.

Key vocabulary. Before you read, look at these five words you will meet in the text:

Read the announcement and then answer the questions. Do not use a dictionary during the first read — try to understand the main idea from the context.

Big news from the Patel family! Our daughter Aisha has just graduated from Bristol University with a First in Psychology. After three years of late nights and hard work, she finally walked across the stage on Friday afternoon. We are so proud of her!

She already has a job offer from a research company in Manchester, and she is moving there next month. Aisha would like to thank her tutors, her friends, and of course her family for all their support along the way.

We are planning a small party at home next Saturday, and everyone is invited. Well done, Aisha — we love you, and we cannot wait to see what you do next.

What is the main purpose of this text?

You have reached the end of the lesson. In this final step, look at the four 'I CAN' statements below and tick the ones you feel confident about. If any of them still feel difficult, look back at the section of the lesson that covers it.

• Sound: you practised the /ŋ/ sound, as in congratulations and happy.
• Phrases: you met useful congratulation phrases such as Well done!, You deserve it!, and I knew you could do it!
• Listening and reading: you heard a workplace dialogue and read a graduation announcement.
• Speaking and writing: you practised reacting in a real conversation and looked at a model congratulations card.

In this section you will practise the words and sounds of congratulation in a real conversation. First, you will hear a short model dialogue between two friends, Maya and Dan. Dan has just received some good news. Listen to how Maya reacts in three short steps: she congratulates him, she makes a personal comment, and she asks a follow-up question.

Useful phrases to use.

When you speak, remember to use the /ŋ/ sound correctly — especially in congratulations, happy, doing and wonderful. Try to keep your voice warm and friendly. British English speakers often sound calm and sincere rather than very loud or excited.

Listen to this short model conversation. Notice how Maya congratulates Dan.

Read the first part of the key line aloud. Listen for /ŋ/ in 'congratulations' and 'happy'.

Read the personal comment aloud. Speak slowly and warmly.

A short, well-written card can mean a lot. In this section you will look at a model congratulations card and then write your own.

Model card (about 45 words).

Dear Aisha, Congratulations on graduating! I always knew you would do brilliantly. The photo of you in your gown looks wonderful. Wishing you every success in Manchester — I know you will be fantastic in your new job. Well done! Love, Sara

Notice the structure of this card:

• Greeting: Dear Aisha,
• Main message: the congratulations and a personal comment.
• Specific detail: the photo and the gown.
• Good wish: Wishing you every success…
• Sign-off: Love, Sara

Strategy tip: Using warm, personal language. Good congratulations cards feel personal. They use the person's name, mention a specific achievement, and add a real wish for the future. Avoid very long sentences and avoid sounding too formal. Short, warm sentences work best.

Now you will write your own short card. Choose someone you know — a friend, a family member, a colleague — and congratulate them on a real success.

Strategy: Use warm, personal language. A good card uses the person's name, mentions one specific achievement, and adds a personal good wish. Keep sentences short and warm, not formal.

Which sentence adds a personal good wish for the future?

Write your card on paper or in your notes. Then read it aloud slowly and clearly, and try to use the /ŋ/ sound naturally.