Feliz Navidad
/feliθ nabidad/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'happy Christmas' is translated into Spanish as Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad is used as a standalone greeting or as part of a longer sentence, such as Te deseo una feliz Navidad (I wish you a Merry Christmas).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of feliz (happy) and Navidad (Christmas).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to say Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo to wish someone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, it is common to use exclamation marks at both the beginning and the end of the phrase, such as ¡Feliz Navidad! to express excitement.
Did you know?
- The word Navidad shares the same root as the English word 'native', because both stem from the Latin concept of being 'born'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the most important celebration occurs on the eve of the holiday, Nochebuena, making the greeting especially poignant on December 24.
- In Spain, the greeting Feliz Navidad is often accompanied by the tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve for good luck.
Examples in context
- ¡Feliz Navidad!Happy Christmas!This sentence is useful for expressing the greeting 'Happy Christmas!' using Feliz Navidad.Tatoeba #2889 by Raimondi, translation #1879788 by Asma
- ¡Feliz Navidad a toda la familia!Merry Christmas to the whole family!
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are greeting each other at a holiday party.
- Alejandro¡Hola, Sofía! ¡Feliz Navidad!Hello, Sofía! Merry Christmas!
- SofíaMuchas gracias, Alejandro. Igualmente para ti.Thank you very much, Alejandro. Same to you.
- Alejandro¿Cómo celebra tu familia este año?How is your family celebrating this year?
- SofíaVamos a cenar en casa de mis padres.We are going to have dinner at my parents' house.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Navidad, feliz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
