ご卒業おめでとうございます
gosotsugyō omedetō gozaimasu
In Japanese, happy graduation is said as ご卒業おめでとうございます (gosotsugyō omedetō gozaimasu).
This phrase is used to congratulate someone on completing their studies at a school or university.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the honorific prefix go, the noun sotsugyō (graduation) and omedetō gozaimasu (congratulations).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The full form ご卒業おめでとうございます is the standard polite way to address teachers, seniors or people you are not close to. A slightly less formal version is 卒業おめでとうございます. For friends, you can use the common and straightforward 卒業おめでとう！ or the very informal めっちゃ卒業おめでとー！ when speaking among close friends.
How do you pronounce it?
gosotsugyō omedetō gozaimasu
Did you know?
- When giving a graduation gift, Japanese people often avoid giving sets of four items. This is because the number four sounds like the word for 'death', making it a taboo pairing with a celebratory phrase like ご卒業おめでとうございます.
- In Japan, graduation ceremonies often take place in the cold spring rather than the end of the academic year in summer. Because the school year starts in April, you will see students wearing heavy coats during their ceremonies.
- In some schools, students don't just say 卒業おめでとう to each other, but also engage in 'last buttons' traditions, where a graduate gives the second button of their school blazer to a junior student as a memento.
Examples in context
- ご卒業おめでとうございます。Go-sotsugyō omedetō gozaimasu.Happy graduation.
- 大学のご卒業おめでとうございます！Daigaku no go-sotsugyō omedetō gozaimasu!Congratulations on your university graduation!
Example conversation
Hiyori congratulates Daito at his graduation ceremony.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、ご卒業おめでとうございます。Daito-san, go-sotsugyō omedetō gozaimasu.Daito, happy graduation.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとうございます、陽葵さん。Arigatō gozaimasu, Hiyori-san.Thank you very much, Hiyori.
- 陽葵 Himariこれから頑張ってくださいね。Korekara ganbatte kudasai ne.Please do your best from now on.
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、精一杯頑張ります。Hai, seiippai ganbarimasu.Yes, I will do my absolute best.
