축하하다
chukhahada[t͡ɕʰukʰa̠ɦa̠da̠]
To celebrate in Korean is 축하하다 (chukhahada).
The verb 축하하다 means to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event. While it means 'to celebrate', the phrase 축하해! is very commonly used as a standalone exclamation meaning 'Congratulations!'
Meaning: to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 축하하다 has several grammatical forms: 축하합니다 is the formal/honorific form, 축하해요 is the polite/standard form and 축하해 is the informal form.
How do you pronounce it?
chukhahada
Did you know?
- The characters in 축하 (祝賀) are derived from Hanja. The first character 축 (祝) specifically refers to a prayer or an invocation to a spirit or god.
- In Korea, a first birthday is a massive celebration called 돌잔치 (doljanchi). It features a ritual where the child grabs an object to predict their future career, a custom distinct from the general meaning of 축하하다.
- While English speakers 'celebrate' a holiday, Koreans often use the word 쇠다 (soeda) for traditional holidays like Lunar New Year. 축하하다 is generally reserved for personal achievements or milestones.
Examples in context
- 생일 축하해!Happy birthday!
- 합격을 축하드려요!Congratulations on passing!
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihun are talking about Jihun's promotion.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨, 승진을 정말 축하해요!Ji-hun ssi, seung-jin-eul jeong-mal chuk-ha-hae-yo!Jihun, congratulations on your promotion!
- 지훈 Ji-hun고마워요, 서연 씨.go-ma-wo-yo, Seo-yeon ssi.Thank you, Seoyeon.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오늘 저녁에 같이 축하하다가 갈까요?o-neul jeo-nyeok-e ga-chi chuk-ha-ha-da-ga gal-kka-yo?Shall we go celebrate together this evening?
- 지훈 Ji-hun좋아요, 제가 맛있는 거 살게요.jo-a-yo, je-ga mat-it-neun geo sal-ge-yo.Sounds good, I will buy something delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrate” translations and entries 축하하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 축하하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
