KalamHow to Say Congratulations in Arabic
Congratulations in Arabic is مبروك (mabrūk), which means "blessed." It works in every dialect for weddings, graduations, new jobs, babies and new cars. Make it stronger with ألف مبروك (alf mabrūk), "a thousand congratulations." The standard reply is الله يبارك فيك (allāh yibārik fīk), "may God bless you."
Literally: “blessed”
Congratulations across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
tahānīnā ("our congratulations") is common in writing, cards and official messages.
Said loudly and often. At weddings, expect zaghārīd (ululation) alongside it.
Levantineمبروك / مبروك عليكmabrūk / mabrūk ʿalēkmabrūk ʿalēk ("blessed for you") for something new; to a woman: ʿalēki.
Gulfمبروك / مبروك ما جاكmabrūk / mabrūk mā jākmabrūk mā jāk, "blessed is what came to you," is classic Gulf for a new car, house or baby.
DarijaمبروكmbrūkMoroccan Darija drops the first vowel: mbrūk, or mbrūk ʿlik.
Other ways to say congratulations
How to respond
May God bless you (to a man; to a woman: fīki)
May it be your turn next (Egyptian / Levantine; to a woman: ʿu'bālik / ʿa'bālik)
May God keep you (to a man; to a woman: yisallmik)
Thank you (fine, but a blessing back sounds warmer)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackStress the long ū: mab-ROOK. The u is held long, like the oo in "room."
The b and r are both clear: tap the r once with the tip of your tongue, like the tt in American "butter."
In yibārik, stress the long ā: yi-BAA-rik.
ʿu'bālak has two throat sounds: a ع at the start and a glottal stop (Egyptian ق) in the middle: ʿu-'BAA-lak.
Example sentences
Congratulations on the new job!
EgyptianCongrats on the house, may you be happy in it.
LevantineCongratulations on the baby, may God protect him for you.
GulfCongratulations on your graduation (to a woman).
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
مبروك is almost always answered with a blessing, not just "thanks." Replying الله يبارك فيك (allāh yibārik fīk) to a man or فيكي (fīki) to a woman is the natural, polite response. You'll also hear people stack blessings, like الله يبارك فيك ويخليك (allāh yibārik fīk w-yikhallīk), "may God bless you and keep you."
At engagements and weddings, the family will often answer your mabrūk with عقبالك (ʿu'bālak / ʿa'bālak), "may yours be next." It's said affectionately to unmarried friends and relatives, so expect to hear it if you're single. The polite response is a smile and إن شاء الله (in shā' allāh), "God willing."
mabrūk is the root of mubārak, the same word in Eid Mubarak and Ramadan Mubarak. For religious holidays use those set phrases; mabrūk alone is for personal milestones. For a new baby, families also appreciate a blessing for the child, such as يتربى بعزك (yitrabba b-ʿizzak).
Congratulations: common questions
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How do you respond to mabrouk?
Say الله يبارك فيك (allāh yibārik fīk) to a man or الله يبارك فيكي (allāh yibārik fīki) to a woman, meaning "may God bless you." At weddings, you might also say عقبالك (ʿu'bālak), "may it be your turn next."
What is the difference between mabrouk and mubarak?
Both come from the same root meaning "blessing." مبروك (mabrūk) is the everyday "congratulations." مبارك (mubārak) is more formal and appears in set greetings like عيد مبارك (ʿīd mubārak).
What does alf mabrouk mean?
ألف مبروك (alf mabrūk) means "a thousand congratulations." It's a warmer, more enthusiastic version of mabrūk, used for weddings, graduations, new babies and big achievements.
What does uqbalak mean?
عقبالك (ʿu'bālak in Egypt, ʿa'bālak in the Levant) means "may it happen to you next." It's said at weddings, graduations and other milestones, often to unmarried or younger people. To a woman: ʿu'bālik / ʿa'bālik.
Related words & phrases
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