祝い・祝・斎|いわいiwai[0]heiban (flat)

1. nouncongratulation; congratulations; celebration; festival
   私は彼かれの卒業そつぎょう祝いわいに電報でんぽうを打うった。↗

   I wired him a message of congratulation on his graduation.
2. nouncongratulatory gift; present

• Synonym祝賀しゅくがWrittenFormal congratulation, often in the names of ceremonies and banquets such as 「祝賀会」; 「祝い」 is the everyday word.
• Synonym祝儀しゅうぎNeutralA celebratory ceremony, especially a wedding; also congratulatory money or a tip, as in 「ご祝儀」; 「祝い」 covers celebrations and gifts broadly.
• Synonym祝典しゅくてんWrittenA grand, formal celebration, usually a public commemorative event; 「祝い」 can be a small private celebration.
• Synonym慶祝けいしゅくWrittenWritten-style word for celebration, seen mainly in national or organizational events such as 「慶祝行事」; in everyday speech say 「お祝い」.
• Synonymお祝いおいわいNeutralThe polite way to say it, for congratulations or a congratulatory gift; the most common choice in daily life, and more courteous than 「祝い」.
• Synonym慶賀けいがWrittenWritten-style word for congratulation, used mainly in congratulatory messages and letters; 「祝い」 is more colloquial.
• Related祭りまつりNeutralA festival or shrine celebration, but also an online pile-on or frenzy; 「祝い」 focuses on congratulating happy events.
• Related祝い事いわいごとNeutralThe happy occasion itself, such as a wedding or birthday; 「祝い」 can also mean the congratulatory gift.
• Related祭礼さいれいWrittenA religious festival held at a shrine, with the emphasis on ritual; 「祝い」 has no religious overtones.
• Related寿ことぶきWrittenCelebrating longevity and happy occasions; often printed on the noshi paper of gifts, as the character 「寿」; 「祝い」 is more general.
• Relatedお祭りおまつりNeutralA festival or matsuri, also used figuratively for a lively scene; 「祝い」 is for celebrating a happy occasion.
• Related喜びごとよろこびごとNeutralA welcome, auspicious event, said with a gentle tone; close in sense to 「祝い事」.
• Related祝言しゅうげんWrittenA wedding, or words of congratulation; old-fashioned in tone. 「祝い」 broadly covers all kinds of celebrations and gifts.
• Related祝い言いわいごとWrittenWords of blessing or felicitation; 「祝い」 refers to the celebration or the gift itself.
• Related寿ぎことほぎWrittenAn archaic word for blessing someone in words; seen mainly in classical literature and waka.
• Related賀慶がけいWrittenA rare, written-style word for congratulation; normally use 「祝賀」 or 「慶賀」 instead.
• Antonym弔WrittenCondolences, mourning the dead — the opposite of 「祝い」, which celebrates happy occasions.

Celebrating a happy occasion or giving a gift is 「祝い」, with the politer 「お祝い」 the everyday default. Use 「祝賀」 for formal ceremonies, 「祝い事」 for the happy event itself, and 「ご祝儀」 for gift money. 「弔」 is the opposite — condolences.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. めでたいことを喜よろこび、言葉ことばや行事ぎょうじで表あらわすこと。
2. めでたいことを喜よろこぶ気持きもちで相手あいてに贈おくる品物しなものやお金かね。