祝贺
zhù hè · HSK 5
to congratulate
🎉 祝 (wish/blessing) + 贺 (congratulate) = wish + congratulate
祝 means to wish or offer blessings (often at ceremonies); 贺 means to congratulate or send greetings. Together 祝贺 stacks both verbs into a formal congratulation, used for weddings, promotions, holidays.
祝 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 兄 (elder brother/person speaking)
Originally an oracle bone pictograph showing a person kneeling before an altar (示) with an open mouth, representing a priest reciting prayers or invocations. The meaning extended from 'invoke blessings' to the modern sense of 'wish' or 'congratulate'. The 示 component signals ritual/spirit, while 兄 contributes both meaning and sound.