The kanji 祝 expresses the concept of "to celebrate," "to congratulate," or "to wish well." It encompasses feelings of happiness, blessing, and good fortune, often used in contexts of ceremonies, special occasions, and well wishes for someone's success or happiness. It implies a sense of positive acknowledgement and expression of support.

・On-yomi (音読み): シュウ (shū) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): いわ(う) (iwau)

⚫︎ 誕生日を祝う。 Translation: To celebrate a birthday. ⚫︎ 結婚を祝う。 Translation: To congratulate a marriage. ⚫︎ 祝日 Translation: Holiday; national holiday.

The kanji 祝 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. It combines two components: 示 (しめす) shimesu on the left, which originally depicted an altar, representing religious or ceremonial matters. On the right, it has 兄 (けい) kei that is used phonetically to indicate the sound. The combination thus suggests an act or expression related to religious ceremony and blessings. The original meaning evolved to encompass celebration and congratulations as well.