Boże Narodzenie
/ˈbɔ.ʐɛ na.rɔˈd͡zɛ.ɲɛ/neuter
Christmas in Polish is Boże Narodzenie.
Boże Narodzenie is used to refer to the festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. While it covers the holiday period, Polish speakers often use the specific term Wigilia to refer to the Christmas Eve dinner, which is the most important part of the holiday in Poland.
Meaning: festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ which in Western Christianity is celebrated on December 25 in most places (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Boże Narodzenie literally translates to "God's Birth".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kaszuby and northern Mazovia regions, Gody is used to refer to Christmas.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a neuter noun. When using it in a genitive construction, such as when saying "gifts for Christmas", the form changes to Bożego Narodzenia.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbɔ.ʐɛ na.rɔˈdzɛ.ɲɛ/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
The term Wigilia is specifically used to refer to the Christmas Eve dinner, which is the most important part of the holiday in Poland.
Did you know?
- It is a common Polish custom to leave one empty chair at the table during Wigilia for an unexpected guest or a wanderer.
- In some regions, the term Gody reflects ancient Slavic winter solstice celebrations that existed before the arrival of Christianity.
- Before eating the meal for Boże Narodzenie, family members share and eat a small piece of opłatek, which is a thin wafer made of wheat flour.
Examples in context
- Jutro jest Boże Narodzenie.Tomorrow is Christmas.This is useful for stating when the holiday occurs using Boże Narodzenie.Tatoeba #539841 by Bilberry, translation #386766 by Mouseneb
- Co jadasz w Boże Narodzenie?What do you eat on Christmas Day?This shows how to ask about food eaten during Boże Narodzenie.Tatoeba #12229248 by polski_ren, translation #5705355 by CK
- On wróci na Boże Narodzenie.He'll be back on Christmas Day.This demonstrates using Boże Narodzenie to describe returning for the holiday.Tatoeba #12953713 by Stanislawspruss, translation #12953457 by Conjuice
- Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji Świąt!All the best on the occasion of Christmas!
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Małgorzata and Piotr are discussing their holiday plans.
- MałgorzataKiedy kupisz prezent na Boże Narodzenie?When will you buy the Christmas present?
- PiotrKupię go w przyszłym tygodniu.I will buy it next week.
- MałgorzataBoże Narodzenie zawsze nadchodzi bardzo szybko.Christmas always comes very quickly.
- PiotrMasz rację, muszę się pospieszyć.You are right, I must hurry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Christmas” translations and entries Boże Narodzenie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
