祝贺

• Pinyin: zhù hè
• Hanzi breakdown: 祝 = 礻(altar) + 兄 (elder brother) — to pray, wish; 贺 = 加 (add) + 贝 (shell/money) — to congratulate with gifts

Meaning

To congratulate; congratulations. Expressing good wishes to someone for an achievement, success, or happy occasion.

Used for formal and informal congratulations. Common occasions include weddings, promotions, graduations, and business successes. Can be used as both verb and noun.

Examples

1. 祝贺你升职了！ Congratulations on your promotion!
2. 我代表全体员工向您表示最热烈的祝贺。 On behalf of all employees, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to you.
3. 收到录取通知书后，朋友们纷纷发来祝贺。 After receiving the admission letter, friends sent their congratulations one after another.

Usage Guide

Context: celebrations, achievements, formal occasions

Tone: joyful

Do Say

• 祝贺你们喜结良缘！(Congratulations on your marriage!)
• 让我们一起祝贺获奖者。(Let's congratulate the award winners together.)

Don't Say

• 说'祝贺你生病好了' (Don't use 祝贺 for recovery from illness — use 恭喜 or express wishes with 希望你早日康复)

Origin & History

祝 (to wish, to pray) + 贺 (to congratulate). Both characters convey positive wishes, creating an emphatic congratulatory word.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal