Ways to say it
| Norwegian |
|---|
| godt nytt år |
| godt nyttår |
| gledeleg nytt år |
Norwegians use Godt nytt år! as a standard greeting when the new year begins or when wishing someone well for the coming year. You may also use the phrase Jeg ønsker dere et fantastisk nytt år! to wish an entire group of people a fantastic new year. For a more informal tone, you can say Ha et strålende nytt år! to wish someone a brilliant new year or Ønsker deg et herlig nytt år! to wish them a delightful and wonderful new year.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase godt nytt år literally translates to "good new year".
Which one should you use?
In the phrase godt nytt år, the adjective godt (good) is used to express the sentiment of "happy" in the context of a new year.
How does it change in a sentence?
The compound form godt nyttår is a very common way to write and say happy new year as a single concept.
Did you know?
- In Norway, the New Year is traditionally associated with the romjul, or 'between-Christmas' period, where godt nytt år is used as the transition from Christmas greetings to the new year.
- In Old Norse, the ancestor of the word år also meant 'plenty' or 'abundance'. This reflects an ancient connection between the passing of a year and a successful harvest.
- While godt nytt år is standard, the variation gledeleg nytt år is particularly common in Nynorsk, one of Norway's two official written standards.
Examples in context
- God jol og godt nyttår!Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!This sentence shows how to combine a Christmas greeting with godt nyttår.Tatoeba #12485774 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #925023 by zvaigzne
- Eg ynskjer deg eit godt nyttår.I wish you a Happy New Year.This sentence shows how to use godt nyttår when wishing an individual a happy new year.Tatoeba #12485773 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #30091 by Eldad
- Eg ynskjer dykk eit godt nyttår.I wish you all a Happy New Year.This sentence shows how to use godt nyttår when wishing a group of people a happy new year.Tatoeba #12485777 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #5716200 by Hybrid
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Jakob are meeting at a party on New Year's Eve.
- EmmaGodt nytt år, Jakob!Happy New Year, Jakob!
- JakobTakk, Emma! Godt nytt år til deg også.Thanks, Emma! Happy New Year to you too.
- EmmaHar du hatt ein fin kveld?Have you had a nice evening?
- JakobJa, det har eg.Yes, I have.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy new year” translations and entries godt nytt år, godt nyttår, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gledeleg, nytt, nyttår, år, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
