voorspoedige Nuwejaar
The English phrase "happy new year" is translated into Afrikaans as voorspoedige Nuwejaar. Wiktionary also lists gelukkige Nuwejaar.
Meaning: Happy New Year (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Afrikaans |
|---|
| voorspoedige Nuwejaar |
| gelukkige Nuwejaar |
In Afrikaans, you can use different expressions to wish someone well at the start of the year. While gelukkige Nuwejaar is a direct translation of "happy New Year", you might also use voorspoedige Nuwejaar to wish someone a prosperous and successful year ahead. You can also express camaraderie and friendship by saying Gelukkige nuwe jaar, maatjie! to a friend.
What does it mean word for word?
The word voorspoedige literally means "prosperous" or "prosperous-filled".
Which one should you use?
Gelukkige Nuwejaar is a direct translation of "happy New Year" using the specific word for "happy". In contrast, voorspoedige Nuwejaar is a more formal or traditional way to wish someone a prosperous New Year.
Did you know?
- An Afrikaans speaker might say Lekker Nuwejaar! in a very informal setting, using lekker to mean 'good' or 'pleasant' instead of 'happy'.
- Because South Africa is in the Southern Hemisphere, these greetings are exchanged during the peak of summer, often involving outdoor water activities.
- While voorspoedige means 'prosperous', it is derived from the word spoed, which in modern Afrikaans usually means 'speed'.
Examples in context
- Ek wens jou 'n voorspoedige Nuwejaar toe.I wish you a happy New Year.
- 'n Voorspoedige Nuwejaar aan julle almal!A happy New Year to you all!
- Mag dit vir jou 'n voorspoedige Nuwejaar wees.May it be a happy New Year for you.
Example conversation
Pieter and Nicola meet for the first time in January.
- PieterHallo Nicola, voorspoedige Nuwejaar!Hello Nicola, happy New Year!
- NicolaDankie Pieter, vir jou ook!Thank you Pieter, to you too!
- PieterHet jy 'n goeie vakansie gehad?Did you have a good holiday?
- NicolaJa, dit was baie lekker.Yes, it was very nice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy new year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
