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祝贺 (zhù hè) — to congratulate

Definition

祝贺 is the standard verb for congratulating someone on an achievement, taking the person as the object (祝贺你). 恭喜 is shorter and more casual, often used standalone. 庆祝 focuses on celebrating an event rather than addressing a person.

verb
to congratulate
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 祝贺。
    Wǒ men zhù hè nǐ kǎo shì chéng gōng.
    We congratulate you on your exam success.
  • 祝贺。
    Tā zhù hè wǒ men qǔ dé le hǎo chéng jì.
    He congratulated us on achieving good results.
  • 祝贺！
    zhù hè Nǐ shùn lì bì yè!
    Congratulations on your smooth graduation!

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

祝zhùwish
贺hècongratulate

祝 means to wish and 贺 means to congratulate, so together they express good wishes.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

祝 shows a kneeling person with an open mouth beside an altar.

Open 祝 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Greetings & Politeness2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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