congratulation

congratulation — noun

1. Praise or good wishes that people offer to another person to mark a success, suc

1.名詞A2
釋義

Praise or good wishes that people offer to another person to mark a success, such as getting a new job, or a happy moment in their life.

例句

Jack sent his congratulations to Sari after she won a prize in the science fair.

collocation: send + congratulations

A card of congratulations arrived from the mayor after the team won the championship.

noun phrase: a card of congratulations

同義詞
  • praise

    more general; can refer to approval of character or effort, not only achievements

  • kudos

    informal, mainly British English; often used in a casual context

  • accolades

    more formal and usually refers to public honor or awards

  • compliments

    focuses on admiration for appearance, skill, or taste rather than achievement

反義詞
  • condolence

    expression of sympathy for loss or misfortune, the opposite emotional context

文法句型

congratulations + on + noun/gerund

congratulations + for + noun/gerund

用法筆記

This sense appears almost always in the plural form 'congratulations,' whether referring to a single instance or many. The singular 'congratulation' is extremely rare in modern English outside of very formal or dated writing.

常見錯誤

❌I want to give my congratulation to the winner.
✅I want to give my congratulations to the winner.
💡Always use the plural form 'congratulations' for this sense, even for one person or one event.
❌Congratulations for your kindness.
✅Congratulations on your promotion.
💡Use 'congratulations on' for achievements and events, not for personal qualities.

2. The giving of words of praise or good wishes to someone for an achievement or a

2.名詞B2
釋義

The giving of words of praise or good wishes to someone for an achievement or a happy event, treated as an action or process rather than as a specific message.

例句

Nkechi accepted the award with humble congratulations directed toward her teammates.

collocation: with + congratulations (manner)

A speech of congratulations was given at the farewell dinner for Mr. Kwame.

passive: speech of congratulations was given

同義詞
  • commendation

    more formal and often implies official recognition or approval from an authority

  • felicitation

    very formal and rare in everyday speech; used mostly in ceremonial language

文法句型

in congratulation (formal fixed phrase)

letter of congratulation

speech of congratulation

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this uncountable sense treats congratulation as an action or process, not as specific words. The singular form 'congratulation' (without -s) appears in fixed formal phrases such as 'letter of congratulation,' 'in congratulation,' and 'speech of congratulation,' but this is increasingly rare and many modern writers use the plural 'congratulations' even for these phrases.

常見錯誤

❌He made a congratulation to the team.
✅He offered his congratulations to the team.
💡'Make congratulation' is not a natural English collocation; use 'offer,' 'extend,' or 'send' with the plural form.
❌A letter of congratulation is too formal for this situation.' (
✅correct but rare)
💡Many modern speakers would say 'a letter of congratulations' instead; the singular form is grammatically correct but sounds dated.