恭喜
gōngxǐ · HSK 7
congratulate
🎉 恭 respectful + 喜 joy = respectfully express joy → congratulate
恭 (gōng) means respectful/reverent and 喜 (xǐ) means joy/happiness. Together they form the standard greeting for offering joyful respect at weddings, New Year, and achievements. 恭喜发财 is the classic Lunar New Year phrase.
喜 — drum 壴 (top) + mouth 口 (bottom)
Originally a pictograph showing a drum (壴) above a mouth (口), depicting people singing or shouting joyfully alongside drumming at a celebration. The combination conveyed festive happiness, and the character came to mean 'joy' or 'to like.' The drum element 壴 itself depicts a drum on a stand.