felicitaties

Felicitaties is a Dutch noun meaning expressions of congratulations or good wishes. It refers to the act or occasion of congratulating someone and is used especially in formal or ceremonial contexts. In everyday Dutch, the typical exclamation is gefeliciteerd, while felicitaties appears in written forms such as congratulatory letters, official announcements, and cards. The plural felicitaties is standard; the singular felicitatie denotes a single expression or message of congratulations.

The term derives from Latin felicitas (happiness, good fortune) and entered Dutch via French and English, with related forms in other languages. In English, the cognate term is felicitations (plural) or felicitation (singular) as a formal noun, and the verb felicitate means to congratulate.

Felicitaties is most often used in formal contexts and public communications, for example in ceremonial programs, corporate milestones, or official letters announcing an achievement. In everyday use, speakers would more commonly say gefeliciteerd or send a simple congrats in prose or a card; felicitaties then functions as a more ceremonial or traditional option.

Outside Dutch, equivalents exist: English felicitation or felicitations; French félicitations; German Glückwünsche. The form and tone vary by language, but all express good wishes on a notable occasion.