Nochebuena
/not͡ʃeˈbwena/
Christmas Eve in Spanish is Nochebuena.
Nochebuena is the standard proper name used to refer to the holiday of Christmas Eve. While one can use the phrase víspera de Navidad to literally describe the eve of Christmas, Nochebuena is the name most commonly used by speakers.
Meaning: day before Christmas Day (name)
Which one should you use?
Nochebuena is the common name for the holiday, whereas Víspera de Navidad is a more literal description. Víspera de Navidad is also considered a formal way to say Christmas Eve, making it more suitable for official documents or formal writing.
How does it change in a sentence?
Nochebuena is a feminine noun and is typically used with the definite article la.
How do you pronounce it?
/notʃeˈbwena/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the main celebration and the largest feast of the season actually take place on Nochebuena rather than on Christmas Day itself.
- Depending on the region, Nochebuena may be accompanied by specific traditional foods like tamales in Mexico or lechón in the Caribbean.
- The word buena in Nochebuena functions as an adjective that has fused with the noun to create a single name for the holiday.
Examples in context
- Nochebuena es víspera de Navidad.Christmas Eve is the night before Christmas.This sentence shows how to define Nochebuena.Tatoeba #1281506 by wallebot, translation #12230733 by Miktsoanit
- Pasaré la Nochebuena con mi familia.I'm spending Christmas Eve with my family.This sentence demonstrates using Nochebuena to describe spending time with family.Tatoeba #2267235 by Shishir, translation #2267234 by _undertoad
- Tom y Mary se casaron en Nochebuena.Tom and Mary got married on Christmas Eve.This sentence shows using Nochebuena to indicate a date when an event occurred.Tatoeba #5687082 by arh, translation #5679200 by CK
- ¿Cómo celebrará usted la Nochebuena?How will you celebrate Christmas Eve?
- ¿Qué planes tiene para la Víspera de Navidad?What plans do you have for Christmas Eve?
- ¿Cómo vas a pasar la noche de Navidad?How are you going to spend Christmas Eve?
- ¡Feliz Nochebuena!Happy Christmas Eve!
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are planning their holiday dinner.
- Daniel¿Qué vamos a cenar en Nochebuena?What are we going to have for dinner on Christmas Eve?
- MaríaPodemos cocinar pavo y ensalada.We can cook turkey and salad.
- DanielMe parece perfecto, María.That sounds perfect, María.
- MaríaEntonces compraré todo para la Nochebuena.Then I will buy everything for Christmas Eve.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Nochebuena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nochebuena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
