おめでとう
omedetō[o̞me̞de̞to̞ː]
In Japanese, congrats is おめでとう (omedetō).
The phrase is used to express congratulations.
Meaning: congratulations (intj)
Which one should you use?
The short form おめでとう is casual and should only be used with friends, family or people of equal or lower social status. In contrast, adding ございます to the phrase makes it polite and suitable for superiors or formal occasions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おめでとう is a common way to express congratulations in everyday conversations among friends and family members. For polite situations, such as speaking to superiors or during formal occasions, you should use おめでとうございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase おめでとう functions as an interjection and does not require a subject or object to be grammatically complete.
How do you pronounce it?
omedetō
Did you know?
- You might see the word written with the kanji for 'sugar', which is 糖. This is a playful phonetic pun used in certain contexts.
- The root of the word comes from the verb 愛でる, which means to admire or love something beautiful.
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 'auspiciousness' linked to おめでとう is often tied to specific seasonal events, such as the first sunrise of the year.
Examples in context
- 合格おめでとう！Goukaku omedetou!Congrats on passing!
- 結婚おめでとう。Kekkon omedetou.Congratulations on your marriage.
Example conversation
Himari calls Kenta to congratulate him on his promotion.
- 陽葵 Himari昇進おめでとう、健太くん！Shoushin omedetou, Kenta-kun!Congrats on your promotion, Kenta!
- 健太 Kentaありがとう、陽葵ちゃん。Arigatou, Himari-chan.Thank you, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari本当にすごいね！Hontou ni sugoi ne!That is truly amazing!
- 健太 Kentaこれからも頑張るよ。Kore kara mo ganbaru yo.I will keep doing my best.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “congrats” translations and entries おめでとう, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries おめでとう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
