qìngzhù: 庆祝 - To Celebrate, Celebration

• Keywords: qingzhu, qìngzhù, 庆祝, how to say celebrate in Chinese, Chinese celebration, celebrate festival in Chinese, birthday celebration in Chinese, 祝贺 vs 庆祝, celebrate Chinese New Year, Chinese verb for celebrate.
• Summary: Learn how to use “庆祝” (qìngzhù), the essential Chinese verb for “to celebrate”. This comprehensive guide covers everything from celebrating festivals like Chinese New Year and birthdays to marking achievements and success. Discover its cultural importance, see practical examples, and understand the crucial difference between “celebrating” (庆祝) and “congratulating” (祝贺) to sound like a native speaker.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qìngzhù
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To actively mark a special occasion with joyful activities; to celebrate.
• In a Nutshell: “庆祝” (qìngzhù) is the go-to word for “to celebrate” in Chinese. It implies taking action—like having a special meal, throwing a party, or holding an event—to express joy for a specific occasion. Think of it as the “doing” part of a celebration, whether it's for a national holiday, a personal milestone like a birthday, or a team's victory.

• 庆 (qìng): This character means “to congratulate” or “to celebrate.” It often relates to auspicious and happy events. Think of it as the core “celebratory” feeling. It's the same character used in 国庆节 (Guóqìngjié), China's National Day.
• 祝 (zhù): This character means “to wish” or “to express good wishes.” It contains the radical “示” (shì), which is often associated with spirits or altars, hinting at an origin of making wishes or prayers. It's the same character in “祝你生日快乐” (zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè) - “Wish you a happy birthday.”

When combined, 庆祝 (qìngzhù) literally means “to celebrate and wish well,” creating a strong, active verb for marking a happy event with both festivities and good intentions.

In Chinese culture, celebrations are often deeply communal. While Western celebrations can be individual-focused, a Chinese `庆祝` frequently emphasizes the group: the family, the company, or the nation. For example, celebrating a birthday (`庆祝生日`) might not just be a party with friends, but a large family dinner where respect is shown to elders for giving the gift of life. This connects to the cultural value of collectivism, where group harmony and shared joy are paramount. This contrasts with the Western concept of “partying,” which can be more casual and individualistic. `庆祝` often carries a slightly more formal and meaningful tone. It's about consciously marking an event's significance. You `庆祝` the Spring Festival as a family, `庆祝` a major company success with colleagues, and `庆祝` National Day as a citizen. The act of celebrating reinforces social bonds and shared identity.

`庆祝` is a versatile and common verb used in a wide range of contexts, from formal to informal.

• Holidays and Festivals: This is a primary use. You `庆祝` major holidays like Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.
  • e.g., “我们回家庆祝春节。” (Wǒmen huíjiā qìngzhù Chūnjié.) - “We are going home to celebrate the Spring Festival.”
• Personal Milestones: It's used for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and getting a new job.
  • e.g., “你打算怎么庆祝你的生日？” (Nǐ dǎsuàn zěnme qìngzhù nǐ de shēngrì?) - “How do you plan to celebrate your birthday?”
• Achievements and Success: Companies celebrate a successful project, and sports teams celebrate a victory.
  • e.g., “为了庆祝我们的成功，老板请大家吃饭。” (Wèile qìngzhù wǒmen de chénggōng, lǎobǎn qǐng dàjiā chīfàn.) - “To celebrate our success, the boss is treating everyone to a meal.”

The word itself is neutral in formality, but the scale of the celebration it describes can range from a simple dinner to a massive national ceremony (`庆典 - qìngdiǎn`).

• Example 1:
  • 我们每年都和家人一起庆祝春节。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen měi nián dōu hé jiārén yīqǐ qìngzhù Chūnjié.
  • English: Every year, we celebrate the Spring Festival together with family.
  • Analysis: A classic example showing `庆祝` used for a major traditional festival. The focus is on the communal activity with family.
• Example 2:
  • 你打算怎么庆祝你的生日？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ dǎsuàn zěnme qìngzhù nǐ de shēngrì?
  • English: How do you plan to celebrate your birthday?
  • Analysis: A common, practical question. The focus is on the “how”—the specific actions or plans for the celebration.
• Example 3:
  • 为了庆祝我们队的胜利，我们去酒吧喝了一杯。
  • Pinyin: Wèile qìngzhù wǒmen duì de shènglì, wǒmen qù jiǔbā hēle yībēi.
  • English: To celebrate our team's victory, we went to the bar for a drink.
  • Analysis: Here, `庆祝` is used to provide the reason (`为了` - in order to) for an action.
• Example 4:
  • 公司举办了一个晚宴来庆祝成立十周年。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī jǔbànle yíge wǎnyàn lái qìngzhù chénglì shí zhōunián.
  • English: The company held a dinner party to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a more formal, corporate use of `庆祝`. An anniversary (`周年 - zhōunián`) is a very common event to celebrate.
• Example 5:
  • 这是值得庆祝的好消息！
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì zhídé qìngzhù de hǎo xiāoxi!
  • English: This is good news worth celebrating!
  • Analysis: The structure “值得 (zhídé) + Verb” means “worth doing something.” This shows `庆祝` used in a more abstract sense.
• Example 6:
  • 他们正在庆祝女儿考上了好大学。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen zhèngzài qìngzhù nǚ'ér kǎo shàngle hǎo dàxué.
  • English: They are celebrating their daughter getting into a good university.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of celebrating a personal achievement, which is a very important cultural event in China.
• Example 7:
  • 十月一日，全中国都在庆祝国庆节。
  • Pinyin: Shíyuè yī rì, quán Zhōngguó dōu zài qìngzhù Guóqìngjié.
  • English: On October 1st, all of China celebrates National Day.
  • Analysis: Shows the use of `庆祝` for a national holiday. The scale is massive (“全中国” - all of China).
• Example 8:
  • 我升职了，我们今晚出去庆祝一下吧！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ shēngzhí le, wǒmen jīnwǎn chūqù qìngzhù yīxià ba!
  • English: I got a promotion, let's go out and celebrate a little tonight!
  • Analysis: The phrase “一下 (yīxià)” softens the verb, making the suggestion to celebrate sound more casual and spontaneous.
• Example 9:
  • 他们的结婚庆祝活动持续了三天。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen de jiéhūn qìngzhù huódòng chíxùle sān tiān.
  • English: Their wedding celebration activities lasted for three days.
  • Analysis: In this sentence, `庆祝` acts as an adjective modifying “活动” (activities), forming the concept of “celebratory activities.” This shows its flexibility.
• Example 10:
  • 虽然考试很难，但他通过了，我们应该为他庆祝。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán kǎoshì hěn nán, dàn tā tōngguò le, wǒmen yīnggāi wèi tā qìngzhù.
  • English: Although the exam was difficult, he passed, so we should celebrate for him.
  • Analysis: The structure “为 (wèi) + person + 庆祝” means “to celebrate for someone,” emphasizing who the celebration is in honor of.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 庆祝 (qìngzhù) with 祝贺 (zhùhè).

• 庆祝 (qìngzhù): To celebrate The ACTION of celebrating. It requires an event or activity. You celebrate an occasion. * 祝贺 (zhùhè): To congratulate The SPEECH ACT of congratulating. It's what you say to someone. You congratulate a person.

Think of it this way: You 祝贺 (zhùhè) your friend on their new job, and then you all go out for dinner to 庆祝 (qìngzhù). Incorrect Usage:

• INCORRECT: 我庆祝你找到了新工作。 (Wǒ qìngzhù nǐ zhǎodào le xīn gōngzuò.)
  • This sounds like you are personally throwing a party by yourself to mark the occasion. It's grammatically awkward.
• CORRECT: 我祝贺你找到了新工作。 (Wǒ zhùhè nǐ zhǎodào le xīn gōngzuò.)
  • Translation: I congratulate you on finding a new job. (This is the correct verbal expression).
• CORRECT: 我们一起吃饭来庆祝你找到了新工作。 (Wǒmen yīqǐ chīfàn lái qìngzhù nǐ zhǎodào le xīn gōngzuò.)
  • Translation: Let's have a meal together to celebrate you finding a new job. (This correctly links `庆祝` to an action/event).

Rule of Thumb: If you can replace the word with “Congratulations!”, use `祝贺` (or the more common `恭喜 gōngxǐ`). If you can replace it with “Let's have a party for…”, use `庆祝`.

• 祝贺 (zhùhè) - To congratulate. The verbal act of expressing congratulations to a person.
• 恭喜 (gōngxǐ) - Congratulations! A common, direct expression of congratulation. More colloquial than `祝贺`.
• 过 (guò) - To pass (time); to spend (a holiday). Often used informally to mean “celebrate” a festival, e.g., `过年` (guònián - celebrate the New Year) or `过生日` (guò shēngrì - celebrate a birthday). It's less formal than `庆祝`.
• 节日 (jiérì) - Festival, holiday. These are the events that you `庆祝`.
• 庆典 (qìngdiǎn) - A grand celebration, a ceremony. A noun for a large, often formal, public celebration.
• 纪念 (jìniàn) - To commemorate, to remember. Used for marking historical events, anniversaries of a death, or more solemn occasions. It's about remembrance, not just joy.
• 派对 (pàiduì) - Party. A loanword from English, this is a common method of `庆祝`.
• 国庆节 (Guóqìngjié) - National Day. The name itself means “Nation-Celebrating Festival.”
• 周年 (zhōunián) - Anniversary. A milestone that is often `庆祝`.