7 Ways to Say Congratulations in Korean
Let’s celebrate our achievements in Korean!
Whether you’re celebrating a wedding or a birthday, welcoming a new bundle of joy or toasting some other achievement, you’ll find the words to talk about it in this post.
Learn how to say “congratulations” in Korean for every occasion, no matter how formal or informal the situation is.
Contents
- 축하해요 (Chuka-haeyo)
- 축하해 (Chuka-hae)
- 축하합니다 (Chuka-hamnida)
- 축하드려요 (Chuka-deuryeoyo)
- 축하드립니다 (Chuka-deurimnida)
- 축복해요 (Chukbokaeyo)
- 기쁜 소식이에요 (Gippeun sosigieyo)
- Korean Congratulations for Specific Situations
- And One More Thing...
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축하해요 (Chuka-haeyo)
This is the most straightforward way to say congratulations. It’s a celebratory word that highlights the achievement, milestone or other happy occasion of the person you’re congratulating. If you’re not sure what to say to congratulate someone, you really can’t go wrong with 축하해요.
Example:
결혼 기념일 축하해요! 더 많은 행복한 날들이 기다리고 있을 거예요. (Gyeolhon ginyeomil chukhahaeyo! Deo manheun haengbokhan nalduri gidaerigo isseul geoeyo.) — Happy wedding anniversary! Many more happy days are ahead.
축하해 (Chuka-hae)
축하해 also means “congratulations” in Korean, but it’s a more casual and informal way to express it compared to 축하해요. It’s closer to “congrats” in English and is also the word you’d probably opt for if you’re congratulating someone in an email or text, or over social media.
Example:
와, 대박! 축하해! (Wa, daebak! Chukahae!) — Wow, that’s awesome! Congratulations!
축하합니다 (Chuka-hamnida)
This is a more formal expression of congratulations, meaning “I congratulate you,” used in formal and official settings. For instance, you’d use it when congratulating someone in a professional context, acknowledging achievements with respect.
Example:
승진을 축하합니다. 새로운 직책에서 더 큰 성공을 이루시길 기대합니다. (Seungjineul Chukahamnida. Saeroun jikchaegeseo deo keun seonggongeul irusigil gidaehamnida.) — Congratulations on your promotion. Looking forward to your greater success in your new position.
축하드려요 (Chuka-deuryeoyo)
If you’re congratulating someone of higher social status than you, like your boss or an elder, this is the phrase to use. It roughly translates to “I sincerely congratulate you” and is a formal and respectful way to congratulate someone on their achievements.
Example:
선배님, 결혼 진심으로 축하드려요. 행복이 가득한 결혼 생활 되세요. (Seonbaenim, gyeolhon jinsimeuro chukadeuryeoyo. Haengbogi gadeukan gyeolhonsaenghwal doeseyo.) — Senior, heartfelt congratulations on your marriage. May your journey together be filled with happiness.
축하드립니다 (Chuka-deurimnida)
This is similar to 축하합니다 but even more formal. It’s typically used in highly formal or ceremonial situations.
Example:
사업 성공을 축하드립니다. 앞으로도 더욱 발전하고 번창하시길 기원합니다! (Saeop seonggongeul chukhadeurimnida. Apeurodo deouk baljeonhago beonchanghagil giwonhamnida!) — Congratulations on the success of your business. I hope you continue to progress and prosper even more in the future!
축복해요 (Chukbokaeyo)
This phrase, which translates to “bless you” or “I bless you” in English, is used to convey good wishes and blessings to someone. It’s a polite expression used in more formal settings, especially when addressing individuals with whom you want to maintain a level of respect and courtesy.
Example:
하시는 모든 일 다 잘 되시길 축복해요. (Hasineun modeun il da jal doesigil chukbokaeyo.) — Blessings on everything you do.
기쁜 소식이에요 (Gippeun sosigieyo)
This means “It’s good news” or “It’s happy news.” As you might imagine, you can use this phrase when you’re sharing someone’s good news!
Example:
기쁜 소식이에요! 우리 팀에서 최고의 성적을 거두었어요. (Gippeun sosigieyo! Uri timeseo choegoui seongjeogeul geodueosseoyo.) — It’s good news! You have achieved the best results in our team.
Korean Congratulations for Specific Situations
Is your best friend getting married? Did your colleague get a promotion? You can use any of the general congratulatory phrases above, or you can get even more specific with the following phrases.
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Here are some phrases for congratulating someone on their graduation:
- 졸업 축하해요! (Joleop chukahaeyo!) — Congratulations on your graduation!
학업 성공을 축하해요! (Hakeop seonggongeul cchukahaeyo!) — Congratulations on your academic success!
새로운 시작을 축하해. 졸업 축하해! (Saeroun sijageul chukahae. Joreob chukahae!) — Congratulations on a new beginning. Congratulations on your graduation!
Here are some Korean birthday wishes:
생일 축하해요! (Saengil chukahaeyo!) — Happy birthday!
건강하고 행복하세요. 생신 축하드려요! (Geonganghago haengbokhaseyo. Saengsin chukadeuryeoyo!) — Stay healthy and happy. Happy birthday!
오늘은 너의 날, 축하해! (Oneuleun neoui nal, chukahae!) — Today is your day, congratulations!
If someone you know has a baby, you can use these phrases:
- 새로운 가족 축하해요. (Saeroun gajok chukahaeyo.) — Congratulations on your new family member.
아기 탄생을 축하해요! (Agi tan-saengeul chukahaeyo!) — Congratulations on the birth of the baby!
새로운 가족 구성원을 축하합니다! (Saeroun gajok guseongwoneul chugha hamnida!) — Congratulations on the addition to your family!
신생아 축하해요! (Shinsaenga chukahaeyo!) — Congratulations on the newborn!
Attending a wedding? These expressions will help share in the celebrations:
결혼 축하해요! (Gyeolhon chukahaeyo!) — Congratulations on your wedding!
행복한 결혼 생활 되세요. 축하드려요! (Haengbokhan gyeolhon saenghwaldoeseyo. Chukadeuryeoyo!) — May you have a happy married life. Congratulations!
이제부터 함께 할 모든 순간들이 행복하길 바랍니다. (Ijebuteo hamggehal modeun sungandeuli haengbokhagil barabnida.) — Wishing all the moments you share from now on to be happy.
And finally, to congratulate someone on a promotion or a new job, use these:
승진 축하해요! (Seungjin chukahaeyo!) — Congratulations on your promotion!
새 직장에서의 성공을 축하합니다! (Sae jikjangedseoui seonggongeul chugha hamnida!) — I congratulate you on your success in the new job!
새로운 직장에서의 시작을 축하드려요! (Saeroun jikjangeseoui shijakeul chukadeuryeoyo!) — Congratulations on the start of your new job!
승진 축하드립니다. 더 큰 성과를 이루길 바랍니다! (Seungjin chugha deurimnida. Deo keun seonggwareul irugil barabnida!) — Congratulations on the promotion. Wishing you even greater achievements!
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of this post. You’re equipped to congratulate anyone on any occasion. Now go out there and celebrate!
And One More Thing...
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