おめでとうございます

お

め

で

と

う

ご

ざ

い

ま

す

Common word

Meanings

1

expression

congratulations

polite (teineigo)usually written using kana alone

Polite expression used to congratulate someone on a happy occasion, achievement, or milestone. The plain form is おめでとう.

ご

結けっ

婚こん

おめでとう

ござい

ます

。

Congratulations on your marriage.

お誕たん生じょう日びおめでとうございます。

Happy birthday (polite).

合ごう格かくおめでとうございます。

Congratulations on passing the exam.

Kanji

御honorable, manipulate, govern
座squat, seat, cushion
目eye, class, look
出exit, leave, go out
度degrees, occurrence, time

Related words

おめでとう
Plain form used in casual situations or with close friends; おめでとうございます is the polite version.

Politeness

おめでとうplainN4
おめでとう is the plain, casual form used with friends or family, while おめでとうございます is the polite version used with strangers, colleagues, or in formal settings.

Built from

お+

Written forms

おめでとう御ご座ざいます
Kanji spelling for ございます; rarely used in modern writing.
御お目め出で度とう御ご座ざいます
rarely-used kanji form
Full ateji kanji spelling; very rare and mostly historical or decorative.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective めでたい (auspicious, happy) with the honorific prefix お and the polite copula ございます. The kanji spellings are ateji and not etymologically related.

座ざ