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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "celebrate" in Japanese?
祝う
iwau
In Japanese, "celebrate" is 祝う (iwau).
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Pronunciation
I-wau, two syllables, the 'wau' glides like the English word 'wow', matching the excitement of celebrating.
Writing and usage
祝う is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
私たちはすべての誕生日を一緒に祝います。
watashitachi hasubeteno tanjoubi wo isshoni iwai masu.
We celebrate every birthday together.
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How to remember 祝う
Iwau ends in a sound like 'wow' — that's exactly the reaction at any celebration.
Related words
- whistle 口笛を吹く kuchibue wo fuku
- yawn あくびをする akubiwosuru
- hiccup しゃっくりする shakkurisuru
- blink まばたきをする mabatakiwosuru
- stretch 伸びをする nobi wosuru
- bend 曲げる mage ru
- kneel ひざまずく hizamazuku
- squat しゃがむ shagamu
- compare 比較する hikaku suru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 祝う
How do you pronounce 祝う?
I-wau, two syllables, the 'wau' glides like the English word 'wow', matching the excitement of celebrating.
Is 祝う formal or casual?
祝う is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 祝う written in Japanese?
祝う is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as iwau.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Celebrate" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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