How To Say "Congratulations" in Japanese

When celebrating special occasions with Japanese friends or colleagues, knowing how to say congratulations in Japanese is essential.

When it comes to saying “congrats” in Japanese, the go-to phrase is おめでとう (omedetou), but that’s just the tip of the iceberg because we’ll explore a treasure trove of other heartfelt ways to express your joy and excitement.

Let’s first start with the most common phrase and explain how you can use it, then we’ll introduce the alternatives.

Omedetou Gozaimasu: The Most Common Way to Say Congratulations in Japanese

As we mentioned, the most common way to say “congratulations” in Japanese is “Omedetou”, which is the informal version. You can use it with your friends, family, and those you’re close with in general.

The formal version, “Omedetou Gozaimasu (おめでとうございます)”, should be used in business settings, people who are older than you, or when speaking to people you’re not well acquainted with. 

In kanji, Omedetou is written as お芽出度う or お目出度う, although the kanji is rarely used. Most people write it in hiragana as おめでとう. 

Though the individual symbols mean “sprout” like a new plant bud, “exit” or “come out”, and “occasion” or “degree”, which isn’t too self-explanatory. It could be hinting at the sign of new growth, a new step in life, or “a joyous occurrence” and “an auspicious event.”

So, you can use the phrase whenever someone achieves something or experiences a joyful event in their lives. 

What’s great about Omedeteu is that it’s quite versatile, so let’s explore how to use it in different contexts.

Using Omedeteu in Different Situations

Here are some common ways you can utilize the phrase to convey a more specific “congratulations.”

If you want to congratulate someone who just got married, you can say “Go kekkon omedetou gozaimasu” (ご結婚おめでとうございます). See how simple it is? All you need to do is add the reason you’re saying congratulations in front of the phrase.

Similarly, if you’re saying congrats to someone who just graduated from school, you can say the phrase “Sotsugyou omedetou gozaimasu” (卒業おめでとうございます). This literally translates to “Congratulations on your graduation.”

Let’s say someone’s got a new job. Once again, congratulating them for their cool new job is as simple as saying “Atarashii oshigoto omedetou gozaimasu” (新しいお仕事おめでとうございます).

Another common use is for birthdays or celebrating the new year. To say Happy Birthday, you can use “otanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu” (お誕生日おめでとうございます). To wish someone a happy new year, there are a few different phrases, but if you’re greeting someone in the new year (afterJanuary 1st), you can say “akemashite omedetou gozaimasu”  (明けましておめでとうございます). 

Last but not least, another common occasion for celebration is when someone gives birth or welcomes a new baby. In this case, all you need to say is “Go shussan omedetou gozaimasu” (ご出産おめでとうございます).

As you may have noticed by the word “gozaimasu”, all of these sentences are in a formal voice, so simply drop it if you want to make the phrase casual.

I mentioned that omedetou (or omedeteu gozaimasu) is the most common way to celebrate someone, but there are many other ways to congratulate someone in Japanese, so let’s explore some common alternatives.

Yatta Ne! (やったね！): Well Done!

“Congratulations” might be straightforward way to celebrate one’s good news, but it’s hardly the only one. Just like you can say “Well Done!” in response to someone’s achievements, you can also say “Yatta Ne! (やったね！)” which means “You did it!”.

Achievement is a key word here, as it acknowledges someone’s hard work and the success that stems from it. So, it might be a better idea to use this for situations such as graduation or getting a better job or promotion, rather than weddings or childbirth.

Saying “Yatta Ne!” alone should be fine in most casual situations, but if you want to add more context, you can say it after acknowledging someone’s accomplishment. For instance, when someone passes an important test or exam, you can say “You passed the test! Well done! (You did it!)” which looks something like 試験に合格したんだね！やったね! (Shiken ni goukaku shitan da ne! Yatta ne!) in Japanese.

Keep in mind that this is an informal way to congratulate someone, so use it accordingly.

Medetashi Medetashi (めでたしめでたし): Joyous, Joyous

In contrast to “Yatta ne!”, a more formal way to congratulate someone in Japanese can be saying Medetashi, Medetashi (めでたしめでたし). 

The word “Medetashi” by itself means “Joyous” or “Joyful.” The reemphasizing of the word by saying it twice in a row has become a celebratory phrase over time and is considered a traditional way to say congratulations today.

As it’s a more traditional, old-timey way to say it, you rarely hear Medetashi Medetashi being used today. That said, it’s an important part of the culture, and you might get some credit among the locals if you use it.

Medetashi Medetashi conveys a joyful tone, or that you’re overfilled with joy for someone, and sounds more poetic. This is why it’s a very sincere, albeit quirky, way to congratulate new parents or newlyweds, but it can be pretty much used for all occasions. 

Otsukaresama (お疲れ様): Good Job!

If you’ve read my “Good Job in Japanese” post, then you already know what Otsukaresama (お疲れ様) means. 

Otsukaresama essentially means “Good job!” or “Well done!”. It’s a phrase that acknowledges one’s hard work with an underlying thankful tone. So, it’s great to use at work when talking to colleagues. 

The informal version of the phrase, “Otsukare”, can be used among peers, friends, and family. 

For a slightly more formal tone, Otsukaresama works well. However, if you’re using it at work, I recommend saying “Otsukaresama Desu (おつかれさまです)” instead, which is the formal version of the phrase that’s appropriate for business settings.

Sugoi Ne (すごいね), Subarashii (素晴らしい): Wonderful, Amazing!

While it may not openly imply “congratulations”, another great word to know is Subarashii (素晴らしい ). This essentially means “wonderful!” so you can use it as a response to good news of any kind. 

Similarly, another common indirect way to congratulate someone is one you might be familiar with if you’ve read my post on the meaning of Sugoi. In this context Sugoi (すごい) means “Amazing!” and you can use it as a response when someone delivers you good news.

The Formal Way to Say Congratulations

While the formal version of Omedeteu is simply “Omedeteu gozaimasu”, there are even more formal ways to congratulate someone in Japanese.

A much more formal version of Omedetou gozaimasu is お祝い申し上げます (oiwai moushiagemasu). This is a very formal way to congratulate someone in a business context, and it’s frequently used in company statements and letters as well.

You can say Oiwai Moushiagemasu even to your boss or other higher ups at work, but it’s mostly used in written form in e-mails and other business related correspondence.

Alternatively, another very formal phrase that’s mostly reserved for written communication is お喜び申し上げます (oyorokobi moushiagemasu). The phrase acknowledges one’s achievements while congratulating them and can be translated as “Please accept my sincere congratulations”. 

For instance, you can congratulate someone for getting the job if you work in hiring, but it sounds the most natural when it’s in written form, so refrain from using it in daily life if you don’t want to sound awkward.

Louder Than Words: Using Gestures to Congratulate Someone

If you had a chance to read my “How Hard Is It to Learn Japanese?” post, or if you’ve lived in Japan long enough, then you already know that Japanese is a high-context language. 

This means that actions, gestures, the setting, and even who you’re talking to can add a lot of meaning to what’s being spoken out loud. Subtlety is quite common when speaking Japanese, and a modest, effortless gesture can often mean exactly what you want to say. 

Therefore, you can use some of the common gestures used in non-verbal Japanese communication in addition to the phrases introduced here to say “congratulations”.

As I conclude today’s post, here are some gestures you can use to say congratulations in Japanese with your body language:

• Bowing: An act of greeting as we explored in “Japanese Greetings”, this is a must-learn gesture that’s commonly used in Japanese culture. In context, you can bow while you’re saying “Congrats!”.

• Clapping: Hugging, even among friends, is not a common action. Instead, you can clap your hands lightly as you tell someone “congrats” to emphasize your happiness for them.

• Giving thumbs-up: A pretty universal non-verbal method of approval, especially as a foreigner, is simply giving a thumbs-up. If the person you’re speaking to is giving you some great news, hyping them up with a thumbs-up gesture can do just the trick.

The gestures I shared above, as well as the congratulatory vocabulary we went over, should help answer the question “How to say congratulations in Japanese?”. However, if you’d like to learn more about communicational cues in Japanese, be sure to continue to my post exploring non-verbal communication in Japan in detail.