Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| feliz año nuevo | /feˌliθ ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/ /feˌlis ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/ |
Latin America |
| próspero año nuevo | /ˌpɾospeɾo ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/ | Spain |
In Argentina, Feliz Año Nuevo is a common way to deliver this greeting in both formal and informal settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase feliz año nuevo literally translates to 'happy year new' because the adjective nuevo follows the noun año.
Which one should you use?
While feliz año nuevo is the standard expression, próspero año nuevo carries the meaning of 'prosperous new year' and is considered a more traditional way to express the sentiment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Feliz año nuevo is the most common way to say 'Happy New Year' in Latin American Spanish. In Spain, the variation próspero año nuevo is commonly used, particularly in formal greetings.
How does it change in a sentence?
When incorporating the phrase into a larger sentence, such as 'I wish you a happy new year', you must include the indefinite article un before feliz, resulting in un feliz año nuevo.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˌliθ ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you might hear people shout ¡Feliz año! as a shorthand, but the most important part of the celebration often involves eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each chime of the clock.
- In some regions, it is customary to wear yellow or red underwear while celebrating feliz año nuevo to attract money and love in the new year.
- The adjective nuevo comes from the Latin 'novus', which is the same ancestor for the English word 'novel', meaning something new or original.
Examples in context
- Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo a todos.Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone.This sentence shows how to use próspero año nuevo in a greeting alongside Christmas.Tatoeba #683460 by humbertovs, translation #683475 by Shishir
- Feliz año nuevo.Happy New Year!This sentence provides a simple example of the greeting feliz año nuevo.Tatoeba #9340812 by camilou, translation #361350 by blay_paul
- Les deseo a todos una feliz navidad y un feliz año nuevo.I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year.This sentence demonstrates the necessity of using the article un with feliz año nuevo when expressing a wish.Tatoeba #1625465 by marcelostockle, translation #32251 by mailohilohi
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple greets each other at a party at midnight.
- María¡Feliz año nuevo, Daniel!Happy New Year, Daniel!
- Daniel¡Igualmente, María! ¡Feliz año nuevo para ti!Likewise, María! Happy New Year to you!
- MaríaMuchas gracias, espero que sea un gran año.Thank you very much, I hope it is a great year.
- DanielAsí será, ¡felicidades!It will be, congratulations!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy new year” translations and entries feliz año nuevo, próspero año nuevo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries año, feliz, nuevo, próspero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
