feliz año nuevo
/feˌliθ ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/Latin America
The English phrase "happy new year" is translated into Spanish as feliz año nuevo. Wiktionary also lists próspero año nuevo.
Meaning: Happy New Year (phrase)
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 |
Which one should you use?
Próspero año nuevo translates more specifically to "prosperous new year" and is more formal and traditional than the standard feliz año nuevo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Feliz año nuevo is the most common way to say "Happy New Year" in Latin America. In Spain, próspero año nuevo is a common formal greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase as an object in a sentence, such as when saying "I wish you a happy new year", you should include the indefinite article un before feliz (e.g., un feliz año nuevo).
How do you pronounce it?
/feˌliθ ˌaɲo ˈnwebo/
Did you know?
- Some people carry a suitcase around the block or through the house during año nuevo to ensure they will travel in the following year.
- In some regions, it is customary to wear red underwear on año nuevo to bring love and passion in the coming year.
- While feliz año nuevo is the greeting, the transition to the new year is often called la Nochevieja, which literally translates to 'the Old Night'.
Examples in context
- Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo a todos.Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone.This sentence is useful for combining Christmas and New Year greetings using próspero año nuevo.Tatoeba #683460 by humbertovs, translation #683475 by Shishir
- Feliz año nuevo.Happy New Year!This sentence shows a simple way to say "Happy New Year!" using 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 how to use the phrase as an object with the article un using feliz año nuevo.Tatoeba #1625465 by marcelostockle, translation #32251 by mailohilohi
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier meet at a party on January 1st.
- Sofía¡Hola, Javier! ¡Feliz año nuevo!Hello, Javier! Happy New Year!
- Javier¡Gracias, Sofía! Igualmente para ti.Thanks, Sofía! Same to you.
- Sofía¿Cómo pasaste las vacaciones?How did you spend the holidays?
- JavierMuy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?Very well, thanks. And you?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy new year” translations and entries feliz año nuevo, próspero año nuevo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
