Auguri! Wishes and celebrations

Auguri!

Italian celebrations run on fixed formulas. The umbrella word is the good wishes (Auguri! = best wishes!)

gli auguri — literally the wishes. On any happy occasion Italians simply say Auguri! — at a birthday, at Christmas, at New Year. The verb that goes with it is fare: fare gli auguri a... means to give someone your good wishes.

Buon..., buona...

Most wishes put buono in front of the occasion:

formula	when
happy birthday!	buon compleanno
a birthday
merry Christmas!	buon Natale
Christmas
happy New Year!	buon anno
New Year
good luck!	buona fortuna
before something difficult

Note the short form buon before a masculine noun — buon compleanno, never buono compleanno.

Well done — and cheers

congratulations!congratulazioni congratulates an achievement — a new job, a degree, a wedding. A single admiring remark is the complimentil complimento, and Italians pay one with *fare*: *fare un complimento*.

Glasses raised? The toast is cheers! (when toasting)

cin cin — often followed by alla salute! (to your health).

The sad one

my condolencescondoglianze is the fixed word at a death. You say it to the bereaved, on its own or as *condoglianze per...* — whatever else you say, this word must be there.