<ul>
<li><p>恭喜 is more colloquial.</p>
</li>
<li><p>祝贺 is more literary.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Both can be used as a verb for &quot;congratulate&quot;</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;大家都去[恭喜]李先生家中添了個男丁&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;大家都去[祝贺]李先生家中添了個男丁&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;Everyone goes [congratulating] Mr. Li who has added a son to his home.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since 恭喜 is more colloquial, it is the one we use as an exclamation in speech:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;恭喜恭喜! 恭喜你們家中添了個小男孩&quot;(Congratulations!! Congratulations on adding a son to your home)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>&quot;恭喜恭喜! 恭喜你們家中添了個千金&quot; (Congratulations!! Congratulations on adding a daughter to your family)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>恭喜恭喜! is the exclamation (optional, but very common)</em></p>
<p><em>恭喜你們家中添了個小男孩 (or 千金) is the detailed congratulations. This phrase can be used in speech or in writing</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>You should only use the literary 祝贺 in writing. And you don't need to add an exclamation</p>
<blockquote>
<p>祝贺你們府上添了個小孩 (Congratulations on adding a child to your home)</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>Related term: 恭祝 (wish/ bless)</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-24T09:50:29.963Z
2018-12-24T10:01:50.523Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>Both words are correct, but &quot;恭喜&quot; is a more suitable word in this scenario.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-04T14:10:32.327Z
2020-10-04T14:10:32.327Z
Elaine
<p>What is the most natural way to congratulate someone for having a baby. I know that 恭喜 means congratulations, but I think also 祝贺 means congratulations. Which one is better suited, or is there a better word I didn't mention?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-24T08:47:34.990Z
users recommend submitting 恭喜,祝贺 to online dictionaries and checking example sentences, e.g. iciba supplies: Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy. **恭喜** ，你生了个健康的男孩, similar examples exist for  **祝贺**  e.g. bkrs: 请代我向她表示祝贺。 Convey my congratulations to her.
祝贺你获得百米赛跑第一名。 Let me congratulate you on your winning first place in the 100 metre dash.more examples show  恭喜,祝贺 can be followed by just any (happy?) occasion, reading experience: 恭喜 can be repeated 恭喜,恭喜你...
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-24T08:57:25.583Z
祝贺 is too formal, use 恭喜
Jason Swift
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-24T10:21:03.533Z
suggestion: search web using e.g. 贺卡:生孩子 (greeting cards: childbirth), get many possible congratulation formulas, esp. 朋友生孩子祝福语 https://wenku.baidu.com/view/7555ce12f18583d049645960.html
user6065
<congratulations>
Congratulate someone for having a baby
# Congratulate someone for having a baby

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-24)

What is the most natural way to congratulate someone for having a baby. I know that 恭喜 means congratulations, but I think also 祝贺 means congratulations. Which one is better suited, or is there a better word I didn't mention?

**Tags:** congratulations

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: users recommend submitting 恭喜,祝贺 to online dictionaries and checking example sentences, e.g. iciba supplies: Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy. **恭喜** ，你生了个健康的男孩, similar examples exist for  **祝贺**  e.g. bkrs: 请代我向她表示祝贺。 Convey my congratulations to her. 祝贺你获得百米赛跑第一名。 Let me congratulate you on your winning first place in the 100 metre dash.more examples show  恭喜,祝贺 can be followed by just any (happy?) occasion, reading experience: 恭喜 can be repeated 恭喜,恭喜你...  
> **username_2**: 祝贺 is too formal, use 恭喜  
> **username_1**: suggestion: search web using e.g. 贺卡:生孩子 (greeting cards: childbirth), get many possible congratulation formulas, esp. 朋友生孩子祝福语 https://wenku.baidu.com/view/7555ce12f18583d049645960.html  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-12-24. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

* 恭喜 is more colloquial.
* 祝贺 is more literary.

Both can be used as a verb for "congratulate"

> "大家都去[恭喜]李先生家中添了個男丁"
>
> "大家都去[祝贺]李先生家中添了個男丁"
>
> "Everyone goes [congratulating] Mr. Li who has added a son to his home."

Since 恭喜 is more colloquial, it is the one we use as an exclamation in speech:

> "恭喜恭喜! 恭喜你們家中添了個小男孩"(Congratulations!! Congratulations on adding a son to your home)
>
> or
>
> "恭喜恭喜! 恭喜你們家中添了個千金" (Congratulations!! Congratulations on adding a daughter to your family)

~

> *恭喜恭喜! is the exclamation (optional, but very common)*
>
> *恭喜你們家中添了個小男孩 (or 千金) is the detailed congratulations. This phrase can be used in speech or in writing*

You should only use the literary 祝贺 in writing. And you don't need to add an exclamation

> 祝贺你們府上添了個小孩 (Congratulations on adding a child to your home)

*Related term: 恭祝 (wish/ bless)*


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-10-04. Score: 0

Both words are correct, but "恭喜" is a more suitable word in this scenario.


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