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道贺 (dào hè) — to offer congratulations (formal)

Definition

道贺 is a formal verb meaning 'to offer congratulations' — more written and ceremonial than the everyday 祝贺. Used for major occasions like weddings, business milestones, or promotions.

verb
to offer congratulations (formal)

Examples

  • ，道贺。
    Tā jié hūn de shí hou, hěn duō péng you dōu lái dào hè.
    When he got married, many friends came to offer congratulations.
  • ，。
    Wǒ xiàng tā dào le yī shēng hè, zhù tā kǎo shì chéng gōng.
    I offered him a word of congratulations and wished him success on the exam.
  • ，道贺。
    Gōng sī chéng lì shí zhōu nián, dà jiā fēn fēn dào hè.
    On the company's tenth anniversary, everyone offered their congratulations.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

道dàoexpress
贺hècongratulations

道贺 joins 道, express, with 贺, congratulations, to mean offer congratulations.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 賀; 贺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishellfish money
Sound part声符shēngfú
加
加jiā賀hè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賀 pairs 貝 (shellfish money) with 加 as a sound part; the simplified 贺 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 贺 →
Appears in
Greetings & Politeness

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