Ok it is a silly question but I am confused .__.
This is the sentence:
そつか
おめでとう
Actually I don't get if そつか is そっか instead? can it be? but if so my translation wouldn't make sense at all ._.
Anyway I translated as "Congratulation on your graduation"
though it is weird because the context is a birthday so I don't know ._. unless it's a short way to say "happy birthday" ? help please?
Update:thank you for your accurate explanation but I am still a bit confused because the same person before saying this says: "I heard of your birthday from someone" and then that sentence I told you so it seems weird to translate as "I see, congratulation" I don't know like these are the whole sentences:
Person B says he knows of his birthday so person B asks how he knows I guess:
Person A:
ああ
たけしくんとかに
聞きましたか
which I translated as:
Ah! Did you hear it from Takeshi kun?
Person B:
いや
メアリが
メールで
そつか
おめでとう
No, Mary sent me an e-mail or No, from Mary by e-mail
I see, congratulation? --> well I am still unsure xD
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
the word「そつか」 makes no sense, I think what you wanna say is 「そっか」.
moreover, そっか also can be said そうか,or そうですか(fomal expression)
they have same mean,and they mean ''I see''or''I got you''
"Congratulation on your graduation"
卒業（そつぎょう）おめでとう
So 「そっか。おめでとう。」means ''I see, congratulation.''
(I guess this sentense is used in conversation because そっか is usually used as response to someone)
Though I don't know why you think that means ''graduation'' , that doesn't include the meaning of ''graduation''.
cf...
a short way to say "happy birthday" is 誕生日(たんじょうび)おめでとう, which is not fomal,so you can this sentense to your familly or friends, and so on.
fomal form is お誕生日（たんじょうび）おめでとうございます.this is often used to your superior,boss,or teacher,etc.
as you can see above, we japanese use おめでとう both situation(when we say happy birthday and when we say congratulation on something)
i don't know if these are answers to your question because i don't know i can get your sentense's meaning correctly.So if you still have any questions, please comment to me.