More than congratulations (congratulazioni) in Italy, people give auguri, or well wishes. In other words, it’s a way to wish someone well in the future, or a way to say ‘all the best.’ You use it to wish someone a happy birthday (in addition to the less used, buon compleanno). You can also say it to someone who recently graduated, got married, or completed some difficult task.
Examples:
‘Auguri di buon anno!’ – Happy new year!
‘E’ il tuo compleanno, Pietro?! Auguri!’ – Peter, it’s your birthday?! Best wishes!
‘Auguri!’ – Mazal tov!
Auguri is actually the plural form of the masculine noun, augurio. Augurio is a wish, or a hope expressed which can be positive or negative for one’s future. Therefore, it can also mean a bad omen, or an ill wish directed toward someone. However, when spoken in the plural, auguri is used for auspicious occasions.
Augurio stems from the Latin, augurium – the foreseeing, or the divination of the future through song, or through the flight of birds (for the Romans).
Side-note: Wishing someone auguri for his/her birthday before the actual day, or before an exam is quite unappreciated, and considered superstitiously bad luck.
4 comments
Interesting post about the word auguri. I always thought it was congratulatory, and it wouldn’t be considered bad luck….but I guess it’s kinda like counting your chickens before they get hatched so it makes sense.
Yea I totally thought it just meant ‘congratulations.’ Tricky tricky Italian!
Hi to everybody,
I am Donatella, from Basilicata.(south to Rome) I was quite impressed about the explanation of the italian word “Auguri”. Thank you!
Let me add a comment on it: I live in Germany and I am doing a Master programme focused on Intercultural Communication. M. Agar is one of the scholars we are considering in deepening this subject. He would talk about “Auguri” as a rich point, or linguistic tip very rich in meanings and connotations, which creates a new frame of knowledge, especially for non-native speakers. Enjoy Italian language :).
Ciao Donatella! We know Basilicata well, how beautiful! Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us, and we wish you the best of luck doing your Master’s programme! A presto!