Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| frohes neues Jahr | /ˌfʁoːəs ˌnɔɪ̯əs ˈjaːɐ̯/ |
| ein gutes neues Jahr | |
| gutes neues Jahr | |
| fröhliches neues Jahr | |
| frohes Neues | |
| prosit Neujahr | |
| guten Rutsch | /ˌɡuːtn̩ ˈʁʊtʃ/ |
| guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr |
German speakers use several expressions to wish someone well for the upcoming year. frohes neues Jahr is the standard way to say Happy New Year and is appropriate for most formal situations. You can also use the variations ein gutes neues Jahr or gutes neues Jahr, and fröhliches neues Jahr. If you want to say "A happy New Year," you can use ein glückliches neues Jahr.
Which one should you use?
While frohes neues Jahr is a direct translation of "happy new year," the colloquial phrase guten Rutsch is a culturally specific idiom that translates literally to "have a good slide," used to wish someone a smooth transition into the new year. You may also see the shortened, informal phrase frohes Neues, where the noun is omitted. For a toast, the informal phrase prosit Neujahr is used to mean "Cheers to the New Year!"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌfʁoːəs ˌnɔɪ̯əs ˈjaːɐ̯/
When do people say it?
In German culture, if someone wishes you a happy new year, a common neutral response is Gleichfalls!, which means "Likewise!" or "The same to you!"
Did you know?
- In some regions, the wish guten Rutsch is accompanied by the custom of eating a lucky dish, such as lentils, to ensure financial prosperity in the coming year.
- While prosit Neujahr is used for toasts, the word prosit is actually a borrowed Latin word meaning 'may it be useful' or 'may it benefit'.
- In many German-speaking regions, the phrase guten Rutsch is almost exclusively used in the days immediately preceding January 1st. Once the year has actually begun, you must switch to more standard greetings.
Examples in context
- Ein gutes neues Jahr 2013!Happy New Year 2013!This sentence shows how to include a specific year with ein gutes neues Jahr.Tatoeba #9057084 by manese, translation #11162104 by jummy
- Frohes neues Jahr, Tatoeba!Happy New Year, Tatoeba!This sentence demonstrates the use of frohes neues Jahr.Tatoeba #13678459 by mhr, translation #13678007 by EugeneGS
- "Frohes Neues!" – "Gleichfalls!""A Happy New Year!" "I wish you the same!"This example shows a response using the shortened phrase frohes Neues.Tatoeba #974892 by Sudajaengi, translation #73628 by CM
- Ein frohes neues Jahr voller Glück und Erfolg!A Happy New Year filled with luck and success!
- Ich wünsche dir ein tolles Jahr!I wish you an amazing year!
- Möge das neue Jahr all deine Träume wahr werden lassen!May the New Year make all your dreams come true!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah meet for the first time in January.
- MaximilianHallo Sarah, frohes neues Jahr!Hello Sarah, happy new year!
- SarahDanke, Maximilian! Dir auch ein frohes neues Jahr.Thanks, Maximilian! Happy new year to you too.
- MaximilianHattest du eine schöne Zeit?Did you have a nice time?
- SarahJa, es war sehr entspannend.Yes, it was very relaxing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy new year” translations and entries frohes neues Jahr, frohes Neues, guten Rutsch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
