庆贺

• Pinyin: qìng hè
• Hanzi breakdown: 庆 = 广 + 大 (celebrate; simplified from 慶); 贺 = 加 + 贝 (congratulate/present a gift)

Meaning

To celebrate; to congratulate; to offer formal expressions of joy and felicitation on a happy occasion or significant achievement.

More formal than 庆祝 in many contexts. 庆贺 emphasises expressing congratulations to others, while 庆祝 focuses on the act of celebrating an event itself. Common in formal letters, toasts, and diplomatic communications. 互相庆贺 (congratulate one another) is a common collocation.

Examples

1. 全国各地的民众自发走上街头，热烈庆贺祖国迎来又一个崭新的历史性时刻。 People across the country spontaneously took to the streets to celebrate as the nation ushered in another historic new moment.
2. 同事们纷纷上前庆贺他荣获今年最具创新价值奖，办公室里顿时笑声四溢。 Coworkers stepped forward one after another to congratulate him on winning this year’s Most Innovative Value Award, and the office instantly filled with laughter.
3. 两国领导人互致贺电，庆贺两国外交关系正式建立五十周年这一重要里程碑。 The leaders of the two countries exchanged congratulatory messages, celebrating the important milestone of the 50th anniversary of their formal diplomatic relations.

Usage Guide

Context: ceremonies, official, social, diplomacy

Tone: celebratory

Do Say

• 公司特设盛宴，庆贺研发团队历时三年终于攻克了这项举足轻重的世界级技术难题。(The company held a grand banquet to celebrate the R&D team finally conquering this pivotal world-class technical challenge after three years of effort.)
• 全体师生共同庆贺建校一百周年，深情追忆百年薪火相传的光荣历程。(The entire staff and student body celebrated together the centenary of the school's founding, fondly recalling a glorious history of passing on the torch through a hundred years.)

Don't Say

• 我庆贺了一整夜 — use 庆祝了一整夜 to describe celebrating all night; 庆贺 implies extending congratulations to others, while 庆祝 describes the personal act of celebrating

Origin & History

庆 (celebrate) + 贺 (congratulate/felicitate) — to celebrate and offer congratulations

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal