おめでとう
おめでとう · omedetou · JLPT N3 · expression
Congratulations!
🎉🎂 o + medetai (worth celebrating), from 愛でる mederu, to cherish
おめでとう is the polite form of めでたい, an old word meaning worthy of praise or celebration. It comes from 愛でる (mederu, to love or admire). The 目出度い spelling is just a sound-based ateji, chosen for its lucky-sounding characters.