Which one should you use?
In German, Urlaub usually refers to a specific trip or a period of time taken off from work. In contrast, you should use Ferien when referring to school or university breaks.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase Schönen Urlaub! functions as an elliptical expression of Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Urlaub, with the subject and verb left out for brevity in casual speech. The word schönen takes the -en ending because it is an adjective in the masculine accusative case, following the implied verb wünschen (to wish).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃøːnən ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯p/
When do people say it?
If someone wishes this to you, a common way to respond is Danke, gleichfalls!, which means "Thanks, likewise!", especially if the other person is also going on vacation or if you want to return the sentiment.
Did you know?
- The word Urlaub is related to the German verb erlauben, which means 'to allow'. This reflects the historical idea that a vacation was a permission granted by a superior.
- The word Urlaub is a cognate of the English word 'leave' when used to mean 'time off' or 'permission to be away'.
- In formal settings, people often replace 'nice' with erholsamen, which specifically emphasizes 'recovery' or 'relaxation'.
Examples in context
- Schönen Urlaub!Have a nice vacation.This example shows how to use the phrase schönen Urlaub to wish someone a nice vacation.Tatoeba #1315696 by al_ex_an_der, translation #21299 by CK
- Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Urlaub.I wish you a nice vacation.
- Wir wünschen euch einen schönen Urlaub!We wish you (plural) a nice vacation!
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are saying goodbye at the train station.
- LauraTschüss, Julian! Hab einen schönen Urlaub!Bye, Julian! Have a nice vacation!
- JulianDanke, Laura! Das mache ich.Thanks, Laura! I will.
- LauraSchreib mir mal, wenn du da bist.Write to me when you are there.
- JulianJa, mache ich auf jeden Fall.Yes, I will definitely do that.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (schönen, Urlaub) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Urlaub, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
