DON'T SAY 🚫 CONGRATULATIONS 🎉| Go Natural English

Welcome back to Go Natural English I'm your American English teacher Gabby and

today we're talking about this beautiful word congratulations that you may be

overusing I've noticed many of my English learners overusing this word

using it in inappropriate situations because in English we don't use this

word in the same way as you may use it in your native language so let's take a

look at some examples of how not to use it and how to use it correctly and

alternatives if you would like to sound more like a native English speaker then

let's go hey Vanessa how are you hi I'm well, Gabby. I

heard that you are subscribed to Go Natural English on YouTube

congratulations what congratulations

what do you mean congratulations you're subscribed right yeah but

congratulations no don't congratulate me we use

congratulations for big milestones lifetime achievements and while

subscribing to Go Natural English on YouTube is an excellent idea it is

something that you could really do anytime and hopefully you've already

done it so we wouldn't say congratulations you

know I wanted to tell you Vanessa congratulations because you're so

beautiful no we don't say that you mean the beautiful part or the

congratulations part the congratulations part I didn't a win a beauty pageant so I

went out this weekend and I met an Italian guy oh my gosh and he taught me

how to say "I love you" in Italian. Tell me how do you say it "Ti amo." Congratulations your Italian

is so good. No.

What do you mean, no? Your Italian is great but you can't congratulate me for

speaking good Italian that's weird we don't say congratulations for skills

that develop over time such as learning a language unless you won an award or

graduated from a program congratulations you're such a good dancer but I didn't win a

prize but congratulations you're a very skilled dancer that's really weird

again we don't say congratulations about skills so Vanessa you are such a good

English teacher congratulations about that thank you for the compliment but

you don't need to congratulate me for being a good English teacher oh wait

because you're modest because of congratulations because of

congratulations Oh. Even for wonderful teaching skills

we don't use congratulations so do you have any travel plans coming up I do I'm

going to Croatia soon and I'm so excited congratulations that's so exciting

congratulations I know it's exciting but don't congratulate me oh why not because

I'm going on a trip but I didn't win this trip oh I mean I know but I can't

say congratulations no don't say congratulations about travel plans

unless someone won a trip I heard it was your birthday last weekend

congratulations no no we don't even say congratulations

for birthdays now you may be wondering when do native English speakers use the

word congratulations it seems like there's a lot of situations when we

don't use it right but we do use congratulations often and it's

appropriate to use and you should use it for big milestones lifetime achievements

things like graduating from school getting married getting a new job or a

promotion winning a prize buying a new house having a baby there are many big

milestones and lifetime achievements that we can use this word for so let's

take a look at some examples so I have some news tell me I'm graduating soon

with my PhD oh really well congratulations thank you but

actually I already got my PhD and congratulations I just got a new job

Oh congratulations that's amazing you know I just won employee of the month at

my job really you did yeah well congratulations but I don't even need a

new job anymore because I just won the lottery

congratulations that's amazing well you know what I mean that's amazing and

everything but I am getting engaged that's great good for you

congratulations thank you thank you but I'm already married and we just bought a

new house congratulations that's wonderful congratulations on your

new house so well I'm sure it's amazing I have some more news though it's really

big news I'm pregnant congratulations but I have

even bigger news I'm pregnant as well but I'm pregnant with twins what are you

kidding are you really seriously I mean congratulations yeah wonderful

well actually I mean I'm gonna have to check with the doctor but we're pretty

sure I'm pregnant with quadruplets yeah yeah congratulations thank you so guess

what what I just won a trip to Croatia Wow congratulations

well I wasn't gonna tell anyone because it's not gonna happen for maybe a few

years but I just won a trip to the moon did you really yeah

congratulations thank you let's practice the pronunciation of congratulations

it's a beautiful word but it can be difficult to pronounce so there are two

key points that we need to focus on first in American English we don't

pronounce the T we do not say kind of grat tu lations we say congratulations

congratulations (2) pay attention to the stress congratulations congratulations

so it's important to get the stress right on that second syllable we really

stress and then we have a secondary stress on the lesions congratulations

now we can also shorten this word and many people simply say congrats Congrats

but be aware that this is slightly more casual for use with family or friends if

you want to be more formal more polite or respectful say the completes word

alternatives to saying congratulations include I'm so happy for you

or that's wonderful or well done now I've seen in some other English lessons

suggestions to use alternatives like nice job or nice or good job and these

could be interpreted as sarcasm if your tone is not right and they're a bit

casual so I highly suggest that you stick to the suggestions mentions here

well done I'm so happy for you that's wonderful

or simply the classic congratulations I would say

congrats for watching this lesson but I can't because that's not really a

huge lifetime achievement however I am sure that you do have some achievements

and I would love for you to share your achievements in the comments what's

something that you're proud of have you recently graduated or perhaps did you

get a new job what could we congratulate you for did

you take a test or did you pass a test recently let us know and let's

congratulate each other in the comments let's keep learning together click right

over here to watch don't say nice to meet you to learn when to use and when

not to use that common phrase and don't forget to subscribe here to Go Natural

English so you don't miss another lesson click right over here to subscribe right

now and I'll see you right over there and the nice to meet you lesson bye for

now