What is the difference between celebrate and congratulate?
Celebrate
We celebrate something, like a special event or occasion. The structure is celebrate + [something]
- This weekend we will celebrate my mom’s 82nd birthday.
- When will you celebrate your graduation?
- I heard Jane and Chris are getting married next year. Let’s celebrate by taking them out to dinner.
Congratulate
We congratulate someone for something that they have accomplished through their effort, or for a milestone they have achieved. The structure is congratulate + [someone]
- I congratulated my mom when she bought a new house.
- Congratulations on your graduation.
- I called Jane and Chris to congratulate them on their engagement.
Keep in mind the best way to remember this or any vocabulary in English is to take the word or phrase write it in a sentence that’s true for you or true in your world and then memorize your sentences.
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Comments 2
I have maid a clear knowledge described in the above.
But i have a question …
To celebrate/ congretulate his wining a scholarship, the school was given a half holiday.
I want to know that which is appropriet mensened in the above sentence ( celebrate or congratulation)
Ranjan,
That’s a great question. We celebrate an event (Let’s celebrate his winning the scholarship), and we congratulate a person (Let’s congratulate him for winning the scholarship.
Thanks for asking 🙂