English–Japanese
“celebrate” in Japanese
Japanese
Pronunciation
Romajiiwau
Example
家族でお正月を祝います。ka zoku de o shō gatsu o iwa i ma su
My family celebrates the New Year.
How to say “celebrate” in Japanese
“Celebrate” in Japanese is 祝う (iwau).
It marks a happy event or occasion by expressing joy through words, actions, or a shared observance.
Example sentences with 祝う
今日は弟の誕生日を祝います。kyō wa otōto no tan jō hi o iwa i ma su
Today we celebrate my little brother's birthday.
町の人たちは新しい店の開店を祝いました。machi no hito ta chi wa atara shi i mise no kai ten o iwa i ma shi ta
The people in town celebrated the opening of the new store.
Tips for using 祝う
- The verb 祝う (iwau, "to celebrate") often appears with おめでとう (omedetō, "congratulations"), but it names the act of celebrating rather than the congratulatory phrase.