おめでとう
omedetō[o̞me̞de̞to̞ː]
In Japanese, congratulation is おめでとう (omedetō).
The phrase is used to praise someone for a success or a happy event, including milestones like birthdays, weddings, graduations or promotions.
Which one should you use?
The base form おめでとう is a shortened, more casual version of the full expression. To express a higher level of enthusiasm or excitement, you can use めっちゃおめでとう.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おめでとう is an informal form used with friends, family or people of equal or lower social status. For formal occasions or when speaking to superiors, you should use the polite form おめでとうございます.
How does it change in a sentence?
In formal settings, you should always use the full form おめでとうございます rather than the shortened おめでとう.
How do you pronounce it?
omedetō
When do people say it?
While おめでとうございます is a versatile way to offer congratulations, there are specific phrases for certain events. For example, ご出産おめでとうございます is used exclusively to congratulate someone on their childbirth.
Did you know?
- In a playful linguistic pun, someone might write おめでとう using the kanji for 'sugar' at the end. This replaces the standard phonetic ending with the character 糖, meaning 'sugar', to create a visual joke.
- The phrase おめでとう is actually an adverb. It is a shortened version of a longer sentence that essentially means 'it is auspicious'.
Examples in context
- おめでとうございます！新しい仕事の成功をお祈りしています。Congratulations! Wishing you success in your new job.
- おめでとう！試験に合格したんだって！おめでとう！Congratulations! I heard you passed the exam! Congrats!
- めっちゃおめでとう！結婚するんだって！めっちゃおめでとう！Wow, congratulations! I heard you're getting married! Congrats!
- 合格、本当におめでとう！Gōkaku, hontō ni omedetō!Congratulations on passing the exam!
- 結婚おめでとうございます。Kekkon omedetō gozaimasu.Congratulations on your marriage.
- 昇進おめでとう！Shōshin omedetō!Congratulations on your promotion!
Example conversation
A friend congratulates another on winning a competition.
- 大翔 Hiroto大会優勝、おめでとう！Taikai yūshō, omedetō!Congratulations on winning the tournament!
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、大翔くん。Arigatō, Hiroto-kun.Thank you, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんは本当にすごかったよ。Yui-san wa hontō ni sugokatta yo.You were truly amazing, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiそう言ってもらえて嬉しいな。Sō itte moraete ureshii na.I'm happy to hear you say that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 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.
