祝う
iwau[iβ̞a̠ɯ̟]
To celebrate in Japanese is 祝う (iwau).
祝う is used for celebrating events, holidays or milestones, rather than just 'partying'. While 祝う can mean to celebrate an event, it is also used in the sense of congratulating someone on an achievement.
Meaning: to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event (verb)
Which one should you use?
The phrase 祝賀する is a formal way to refer to official celebrations or congratulatory events.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of 祝う is 祝います. The past tense of 祝う is 祝った.
How do you pronounce it?
iwau
When do people say it?
During New Year's celebrations, it is customary to eat osechi-ryori, a special assortment of dishes.
Did you know?
- In Japan, the custom of お祝い (oiwai), or celebratory gift-giving, often involves giving money in special decorative envelopes. The amount must be an odd number, as even numbers are associated with things being 'split' or 'divided'.
- When celebrating a wedding, the color of the envelopes and ribbons used for 祝う (celebrating) must be red and white. Using black and white would be a grave mistake, as those colors are reserved for funerals.
- Certain celebrations in Japan are marked by おめでとう (omedetō), which is derived from a word meaning 'auspicious'. While English speakers say 'congratulations', the Japanese root focuses on the 'luck' or 'fortune' of the event.
Examples in context
- 七夕は七月に祝う。We celebrate Tanabata in July.This sentence shows how to say that Tanabata is celebrated in July using 祝う.Tatoeba #541933 by bunbuku, translation #542356 by blay_paul
- 私たちはいっしょに祝うべきだ。We should celebrate together.This sentence shows how to express that people should celebrate together using 祝う.Tatoeba #4865314 by guijiu, translation #4959380 by CK
- ２月１４日、アメリカ人はバレンタインデーを祝う。On February 14th, Americans celebrate Valentine's Day.This sentence demonstrates how Americans celebrate Valentine's Day in February using 祝う.Tatoeba #235514 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #1497180 by CK
- 日本の祝日には、家族と一緒にお祝いします。On Japanese national holidays, I celebrate with my family.
- 友達の誕生日を祝って、サプライズパーティーを開きます。We will have a surprise party to celebrate my friend's birthday.
- 成功を祝いましょう！Let's celebrate the success!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are planning a birthday party for a friend.
- 陽太 Yota友達の誕生日をどうやって祝う？Tomodachi no tanjoubi o dou yatte iwau?How should we celebrate our friend's birthday?
- 結衣 Yuiレストランでパーティーをしよう。Resutoran de paatii o shiyou.Let's have a party at a restaurant.
- 陽太 Yotaいい考えだね。みんなで祝おう！Ii kangae da ne. Minna de iwaou!That's a great idea. Let's all celebrate!
- 結衣 Yuiうん、きっと喜んでくれるよ。Un, kitto yorokonde kureru yo.Yeah, I'm sure they will be happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrate” translations and entries 祝う, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
