The kanji 祝 generally conveys the meaning of "to celebrate," "to congratulate," or "congratulations." It's associated with expressing joy, good wishes, and acknowledging special occasions. It signifies a positive event or a desirable outcome.

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

⚫︎お祝い (o-iwai) Translation: Celebration; congratulatory gift ⚫︎誕生日を祝う (tanjōbi o iwau) Translation: To celebrate a birthday ⚫︎結婚を祝う (kekkon o iwau) Translation: To congratulate on a marriage

The kanji 祝 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). It combines two components: ⚫︎The radical 示 (し, shimesu) on the left, which signifies "to show" or "altar" – related to religious rituals and offerings, indicating something sacred or important. ⚫︎The phonetic component 兄 (きょう, kyō) on the right, which gives a clue to the sound of the kanji. The combination of these elements originally suggested offering prayers or making offerings at an altar to express wishes for good fortune, therefore, relating to the act of celebrating or giving congratulations. Over time, the meaning broadened to encompass general celebrations and good wishes.