շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ
šnorhavor Surb Cnund/ʃ(ə)noɾɑˈvoɾ suɾb t͡səˈnund/
շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ (šnorhavor Surb Cnund) is the Armenian phrase for Merry Christmas.
This phrase is the standard way to wish someone a Merry Christmas in Armenian.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of շնորհավոր (congratulations/blessed) and Սուրբ Ծնունդ (Holy Birth). Within this, the word Սուրբ means Holy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word շնորհավոր is an adjective used to express congratulations or wishes for a specific holiday.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is šnorhavor Surb Cnund. The sounds are: [sh]ip for /ʃ/, [a]gain for /ə/, [n]est for /n/, l[a]va for /ɑ/, [v]an for /v/, [s]ip for /s/, c[oo]l for /u/, [b]ee for /b/, ca[ts] for /ts/ and [d]og for /d/.
Did you know?
- While many cultures celebrate Christmas on December 25, many Armenian churches follow the Julian calendar, meaning you might hear this phrase used for celebrations occurring on January 7.
- In many Armenian households, the greeting is often accompanied by the specific ritual of eating 'Gata', a sweet, traditional bread, to celebrate the season.
- The word շնորհավոր is actually related to the noun շնորհ, which means 'grace' or 'favor', implying you are wishing someone a 'graceful' or 'blessed' birth.
Examples in context
- Շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ։Merry Christmas.This sentence is useful for saying Merry Christmas with the form շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ.Tatoeba #12937015 by Proxima5, translation #10485139 by hecko
Example conversation
Two friends meet while walking in a snowy park.
- Մարիամ MariamԼևոն, շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ քեզ:Levon, shnorhavor Surb Tsnund kyez.Levon, merry Christmas to you!
- Լևոն LevonՇնորհակալություն, Մարիամ, քեզ նույնպես:Shnorhakalutyun, Mariam, kyez nuynpes.Thank you, Mariam, to you too.
- Մարիամ MariamԻնչպե՞ս ես անցկացնում տոնը:Inchpes antskatsnum tonĕ?How are you spending the holiday?
- Լևոն LevonՇատ լավ, ընտանիքիս հետ:Shat lav, entanikis het.Very well, with my family.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry christmas” translations and entries շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
