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JLPT N112画 · 12 strokesradical 貝grade 4freq #1056

congratulations, joy

On'yomi (音読み)

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

As I celebrate, the shiny shell (貝) of 'congratulations' (賀) sparkles with joy, radiating happiness all around.

About this kanji

The kanji 「賀」 means congratulations or joy, often used in contexts celebrating special occasions. It is primarily used as a noun, appearing in various compounds. For example, 祝賀 (しゅくが) means celebration, while 年賀 (ねんが) refers to New Year's greetings. You might also encounter 年賀状 (ねんがじょう), which are New Year's cards sent to friends and family. Another lovely phrase is 謹賀新年 (きんがしんねん), meaning "Happy New Year." A helpful tip is that this kanji often appears in festive and ceremonial language, reflecting happiness and good wishes.

Example sentences

  • 新年を賀すカードを書く。

    I write a card to celebrate the New Year.

Meanings across languages

English
congratulations, joy
Tiếng Việt
chúc mừng, niềm vui
日本語
が, おいわい
한국어
축하하다, 즐거움
中文
祝贺, 欢喜
id
ucapan selamat, kebahagiaan
th
ขอแสดงความยินดี, ความสุข
es
felicitaciones, alegría
fr
félicitations, joie
de
Gratulation, Freude
pt
parabéns, alegria

Common compounds

  • 祝賀しゅくがcelebration, congratulations
  • 年賀ねんがNew Year's greetings, New Year's call, New Year's gift
  • 年賀状ねんがじょうNew Year's card
  • 謹賀新年きんがしんねんHappy New Year
  • 賀状がじょうNew Year's card
  • 参賀さんがcongratulatory visit to the Imperial Palace (e.g. at New Year)
  • 賀正がしょうA Happy New Year!
  • 賀意がいcongratulatory feeling

Want to actually learn this kanji?

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