חג שמח
khag saméakh/χaɡ saˈme.aχ/
In Hebrew, happy holiday is said as חג שמח (khag saméakh).
חג שמח is a greeting used to wish someone a joyful celebration of a specific holiday. It is appropriate for almost any Jewish holiday, such as Passover, Sukkot and Shavuot, as well as for secular holidays.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun חג, meaning holiday and the adjective שמח, meaning happy.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because חג is a masculine singular noun, the adjective שמח must also be in its masculine singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
khag saméakh (/χaɡ saˈme.aχ/). The stress is on the second of the three syllables.
When do people say it?
When someone says חג שמח to you, it is common to respond with the exact same phrase: חג שמח.
Did you know?
- The word חג shares a root with the Arabic word حَجّ (hajj), which refers to a pilgrimage. This connects the idea of a 'holiday' to the ancient practice of traveling to a sacred place.
- During the holiday of Passover, חג שמח is often supplemented with חג פסח כשר ושמח, which specifically wishes the recipient a 'kosher and happy' holiday.
- If you are celebrating a birthday rather than a holiday, you would not use חג שמח. Instead, you would use מזל טוב, which literally means 'good luck' or 'good fortune'.
Examples in context
- חג שמח לכולם!chag samakh le'kulam!Happy holiday to everyone!
- תגיד לחברים שלך חג שמח.tagid lachaverim shelcha chag samakh.Tell your friends happy holiday.
- חג שמח ובילוי נעים.chag samakh u'viluy na'im.Happy holiday and have a pleasant time.
Example conversation
Maya and Daniel meet at a street market before the holiday.
- מאיה Mayaהיי דניאל, חג שמח!hi daniel, chag samakh!Hi Daniel, happy holiday!
- דניאל Danielתודה מאיה, חג שמח גם לך.toda maya, chag samakh gam lach.Thanks Maya, happy holiday to you too.
- מאיה Mayaיש לכם תוכניות מיוחדות?yesh lachem tochniyot meyukhadot?Do you guys have special plans?
- דניאל Danielכן, אנחנו עושים ארוחת חג.ken, anachnu osim aruchat chag.Yes, we are having a holiday meal.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry חג שמח, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries חג, חג שמח, שמח, CC BY-SA 4.0.
