{"id":107668,"date":"2024-01-07T14:55:47","date_gmt":"2024-01-07T19:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/congratulations-in-japanese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T05:53:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T10:53:32","slug":"congratulations-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/congratulations-in-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say &#8220;Congratulations&#8221; in Japanese Beyond Omedetou Gozaimasu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What do you say to a Japanese friend who&#8217;s getting married?\u00a0How do you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/happy-birthday-in-japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">celebrate someone&#8217;s birthday<\/a>? Promotion?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046 <em>(omedetou)<\/em> is the most common way to say &#8220;congrats&#8221; in Japanese, but we&#8217;ll also talk you through several other ways you can express it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n<h2>\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u00a0\u2014 Congrats<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji:\u00a0<\/strong><em>Omedetou<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Omedetou<\/em> is the most basic and common way to say &#8220;congratulations.&#8221;\u00a0It can be written in kanji as \u304a\u76ee\u51fa\u5ea6\u3046 but these days it&#8217;s more commonly written in hiragana as \u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a breakdown of the kanji:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u304a <em>(o)<\/em> \u2014 A prefix often used to make a word polite or respectful.<\/li>\n<li>\u76ee <em>(me)<\/em> \u2014 Means &#8220;eye.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>\u51fa <em>(de)<\/em> \u2014 Means &#8220;come out&#8221; or &#8220;exit.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>\u5ea6 <em>(tou)<\/em> \u2014 Represents a degree or extent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Putting it together, the kanji \u304a\u76ee\u51fa\u5ea6\u3046 <em>(Omedetou)<\/em> can be interpreted as &#8220;an auspicious occurrence&#8221; or &#8220;a joyous event.&#8221; Both of which are worth celebrating!<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s an example for how to use it below, but you can find even more ways to use the word and many others in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/japanese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the FluentU program<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u5352\u696d<strong>\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046<\/strong>\uff01 <em>(Sotsugyou <strong>omedetou<\/strong>!)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on your graduation!<\/p>\n<h2>\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059\u00a0\u2014 Congratulations<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Omedetou gozaimasu<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is the polite form of <em>omedetou<\/em>\u00a0and is appropriate in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/japanese-keigo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">formal or respectful situations<\/a>, such as with colleagues, superiors or in public settings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u4ed5\u4e8b\u306e\u3054\u6210\u529f\u3001<strong>\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong>\u3002 <em>(Atarashii shigoto no go-seikou, <strong>omedetou gozaimasu<\/strong>.)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on the success of your new job.<\/p>\n<h2>\u3081\u3067\u305f\u3057\u3081\u3067\u305f\u3057 \u2014 Joyous, joyous<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Medetashi medetashi<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This lovely lyrical phrase is a more traditional and literary way of expressing congratulations or celebrating something fortunate.<\/p>\n<p>This phrase is often associated with joyous and significant events, such as weddings, births or other happy occasions. It carries a sense of happiness and blessings, making it suitable for expressing joy and good fortune.<\/p>\n<p>While it may not be as commonly used in everyday conversations, it adds a touch of formality and cultural richness to celebratory expressions in Japanese.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u7d50\u5a5a\u5f0f\u304c\u7121\u4e8b\u306b\u7d42\u308f\u3063\u3066\u3001<strong>\u3081\u3067\u305f\u3057\u3081\u3067\u305f\u3057<\/strong>\u3002 <em>(Kekkonshiki ga buji ni owatte, <strong>medetashi medetashi<\/strong>.)<\/em> \u2014 The wedding ceremony was a joyous and auspicious day.<\/p>\n<h2>\u3084\u3063\u305f\u306d\uff01\u00a0\u2014 Well done!<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Yatta ne!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This phrase literally translates to &#8220;you did it!&#8221; and is a more informal and excited way to congratulate someone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u8a66\u9a13\u306b\u5408\u683c\u3057\u305f\u3093\u3060\u306d\uff01<strong>\u3084\u3063\u305f\u306d<\/strong>\uff01 <em>(Shiken ni goukaku shitan da ne! <strong>Yatta ne<\/strong>!)<\/em> \u2014 You passed the exam! Well done!<\/p>\n<h2>\u3054\u6210\u529f\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059\u00a0\u2014 Congratulations on your success<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Go-seikou omedetou gozaimasu<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is a more specific congratulatory phrase,\u00a0suitable for business situations or when congratulating someone on a professional achievement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u306e\u5b8c\u4e86\u306b\u969b\u3057\u3066\u3001<strong>\u3054\u6210\u529f\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong>\u3002 <em>(Atarashii purojekuto no kanryou ni saishite,<strong> go-seikou omedetou gozaimasu<\/strong>.)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on the successful completion of the new project.<\/p>\n<h2>\u304a\u795d\u3044\u7533\u3057\u4e0a\u3052\u307e\u3059 \u2014 I offer my congratulations<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Oiwai moushiagemasu<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Are you congratulating your boss or writing a very formal letter to someone important? Use this phrase.<\/p>\n<p><em>Oiwai moushiagemasu<\/em>\u00a0is the most formal way to say &#8220;congratulations&#8221; and is typically used in written communication, such as letters and emails or in very formal situations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u65b0\u5a5a\u306e\u304a\u4e8c\u4eba\u306b<strong>\u304a\u795d\u3044\u7533\u3057\u4e0a\u3052\u307e\u3059<\/strong>\u3002 <em>(Shinkon no o-futari ni <strong>oiwai moushiagemasu<\/strong>.)<\/em> \u2014 I offer my congratulations to the newlyweds.<\/p>\n<h2>\u304a\u75b2\u308c\u69d8\u00a0\u2014 Well done \/ good job<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Otsukaresama<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This phrase is commonly used to convey acknowledgment, appreciation and thanks for someone&#8217;s effort or hard work.\u00a0While it doesn&#8217;t directly translate to &#8220;congratulations,&#8221; it can be used to congratulate someone on their efforts and achievements.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u3053\u306e\u30d7\u30ed\u30b8\u30a7\u30af\u30c8\u306b\u95a2\u3057\u3066\u3001\u672c\u5f53\u306b<strong>\u304a\u75b2\u308c\u69d8<\/strong>\u3067\u3057\u305f\uff01 <em>(Kono purojekuto ni kannshite, hontou ni <strong>otsukaresama<\/strong> deshita!)<\/em> \u2014 You did a great job on this project!<\/p>\n<h2>\u3059\u3054\u3044\u306d\u00a0\u2014 Amazing<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Sugoi ne<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This exclamation is a more indirect way to congratulate someone when they accomplish something impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u3042\u306a\u305f\u306e\u30d1\u30d5\u30a9\u30fc\u30de\u30f3\u30b9\u3001<strong>\u3059\u3054\u3044\u306d<\/strong>\uff01 <em>(Anata no paf\u014dmansu, <strong>sugoi ne<\/strong>!)<\/em> \u2014 Your performance was amazing!<\/p>\n<h2>\u7d20\u6674\u3089\u3057\u3044 \u2014 Wonderful<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Romaji: <\/strong><em>Subarashii<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Subarashii<\/em>\u00a0is another\u00a0adjective expressing admiration, often used to convey congratulations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\uff01<strong>\u7d20\u6674\u3089\u3057\u3044<\/strong>\u6210\u7e3e\u3092\u53ce\u3081\u305f\u306d\uff01 <em>(Omedetou! <strong>Subarashii<\/strong> seiseki o osameta ne!)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations! You achieved wonderful results!<\/p>\n<h2>Congratulations for Specific Situations<\/h2>\n<p>You can congratulate someone on any specific situation or event by saying the occasion followed by <em>&#8220;omedetou gozaimasu.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Here are some examples:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u8a95\u751f\u65e5\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong> <em>(Tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu)<\/em> \u2014 happy birthday<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u8a66\u9a13\u5408\u683c\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong> <em>(Shiken goukaku omedetou gozaimasu)<\/em> \u2014 congratulations on passing your exam<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u3054\u5352\u696d\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong> <em>(Gosotsugyou omedetou gozaimasu)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on your graduation<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u3054\u7d50\u5a5a\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong> <em>(Gokekkon omedetou gozaimasu)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on your marriage<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u304a\u4ed5\u4e8b\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong> <em>(Atarashii oshigoto omedetou gozaimasu)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on your new job<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u3054\u6607\u9032\u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046\u3054\u3056\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/strong><em> (Goshoushin omedetou gozaimasu)<\/em> \u2014 Congratulations on your promotion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can also use gestures to convey your congratulations. Bowing slightly, nodding your head or giving a thumbs-up are all common ways to show happiness and excitement for someone&#8217;s achievement.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations, you&#8217;ve reached the end of the post. You&#8217;re now equipped to celebrate someone&#8217;s achievements with a hearty &#8220;congratulations&#8221; in Japanese!<\/p>\n<div class=\"aomtjapan\"> \r\n<p>\r\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you love learning Japanese with authentic materials, then I should also tell you <strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more about FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You'll learn real Japanese as it's spoken in real life.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU has a broad range of contemporary videos as you'll see below:\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2474\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japnaese-5.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-videos\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>FluentU makes these native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts.<\/strong> Tap on any word to look it up instantly.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2477\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-2.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-songs\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAll definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Japanese learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2476\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-6.png\" alt=\"learn-japanese-with-movies\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nAnd FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/6\/Japanese-7.png\" alt=\"practice-japanese-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"307\" height=\"546\" \/><\/a>\r\n<p>\r\nThe best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it\u2019s time to review what you\u2019ve learned.<strong> You'll have a 100% personalized experience. <\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nStart using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What do you say to a Japanese friend who&#8217;s getting married?\u00a0How do you celebrate someone&#8217;s birthday? Promotion?\u00a0 \u304a\u3081\u3067\u3068\u3046 (omedetou) is the most common way to say &#8220;congrats&#8221; in Japanese, but&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":251139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"How to Say \"Congratulations\" in Japanese Beyond Omedetou Gozaimasu | FluentU Japanese Learner","description":"Learn how to say \"congratulations\" in Japanese, no matter what you're celebrating. From birthdays to promotions, discover the correct congratulatory term to use in any situation. Celebrate with phrases from \"omedetou\" to \"oiwai moushiagemasu\" and everything in between!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[545,548],"tags":[],"coauthors":[169],"class_list":["post-107668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese","category-vocabulary-japanese"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107668"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":244509,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107668\/revisions\/244509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107668"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=107668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}