חג שמח
chag sameach/χaɡ saˈme.aχ/
The English phrase "happy holidays" is translated into Hebrew as חג שמח (chag sameach). Wiktionary also lists מועדים לשמחה (moadim lesimha).
Meaning: holiday greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| חג שמח | chag sameach | /χaɡ saˈme.aχ/ (Modern Israeli) |
| מועדים לשמחה | moadim lesimha |
חג שמח is the most common and versatile way to wish someone happy holidays in Hebrew, used for almost any religious or secular holiday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase חג שמח literally means "holiday happy".
Which one should you use?
While חג שמח is the standard greeting, מועדים לשמחה is a more traditional or formal way to say "happy holidays".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase חג שמח is grammatically masculine to match the masculine noun חג (holiday).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /χaɡ saˈme.aχ/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
When someone says חג שמח to you, the most common response is to repeat the same phrase back to them: חג שמח.
Did you know?
- The root of the word שמח meaning 'happy' is an ancient Proto-Semitic root found in the extinct language of Ugaritic as šmḫ.
- The word חג is a cognate of the Arabic word 'hajj', linking the concept of a 'holiday' to a 'pilgrimage'.
- In Israel, the greeting חג שמח is used for the 'Independence Day' celebration despite it being a secular national holiday rather than a religious one.
Examples in context
- חג שמח.Happy holidays.This sentence is useful for practicing the greeting חג שמח.Tatoeba #5413373 by fekundulo, translation #2044389 by CK
- אני רוצה לאחל לך חג שמח.ani rotze le'achel lecha chag sameach.I want to wish you a happy holiday.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noam and Maya meet in the hallway before a holiday break.
- נועם Noamהיי מאיה, חג שמח!hai Maya, chag sameach!Hi Maya, happy holidays!
- מאיה Mayaתודה נועם, גם לך חג שמח.toda Noam, gam lecha chag sameach.Thanks Noam, happy holidays to you too.
- נועם Noamאת נוסעת הביתה לחג?at nosaat habayta lachag?Are you traveling home for the holiday?
- מאיה Mayaכן, אני נוסעת מחר בבוקר.ken, ani nosaat machar baboker.Yes, I am traveling tomorrow morning.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy holidays” translations and entries 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
