Ways to say it
| Bosnian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sretan Božić | Latin | |
| Srećan Božić | Latin | |
| Hristos se rodi | [ˈxɾistos se ˈɾôdiː] (narrow) | Latin |
| vaistinu se rodi | Latin |
The phrase is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. While Sretan Božić is a standard greeting, there are other forms used depending on the context and religious tradition.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective sretan, meaning happy or lucky and the noun Božić, meaning Christmas.
Which one should you use?
Sretan Božić is the standard way to say Merry Christmas. In contrast, Hristos se rodi is a religious liturgical exclamation and a specific proclamation meaning 'Christ is born'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Sretan Božić uses the Ijekavian dialect common in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sretan must agree in gender (masculine) and case (nominative) with the masculine noun Božić.
When do people say it?
Hristos se rodi is a traditional religious greeting used specifically by Orthodox Christians and is often used as a call-and-response during festivities.
Did you know?
- The word Božić is actually a diminutive form of bog, meaning 'God'. It literally translates to 'little God' to refer to the infant Jesus.
- The greeting Hristos se rodi is a call-and-response. If someone says this to you, the traditional and correct reply is vaistinu se rodi, meaning 'truly he is born'.
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the choice between Sretan Božić and Hristos se rodi often signals whether the speaker is Catholic or Orthodox.
Examples in context
- Srećan Božić!Merry Christmas!This sentence shows how to use Srećan Božić to wish someone a Merry Christmas.Tatoeba #10198913 by bokalabocca, translation #1723 by brauliobezerra
- Sretan Božić! Želimo vam sreću i blagostanje u novoj godini.Merry Christmas! We wish you happiness and prosperity in the new year.
- Hvala. Vama također sretan Božić!Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too!
- Sretan Božić, draga! Nadam se da ćeš se lijepo provesti s obitelji.Merry Christmas, dear! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family.
- Hvala puno! Također ti želim predivan Božić!Thank you so much! I also wish you a fantastic Christmas!
- Sretan Božić svima!Merry Christmas to everyone!
Example conversation
Jasmina and Adnan meet at a holiday party.
- JasminaSretan Božić, Adnane!Merry Christmas, Adnan!
- AdnanHvala, i tebi Sretan Božić!Thanks, and a Merry Christmas to you too!
- JasminaHvala puno.Thank you very much.
- AdnanUživaj u večeri.Enjoy the evening.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries Sretan Božić, Srećan Božić, Hristos se rodi, vaistinu se rodi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Božić, Hristos, Hristos se rodi, se, vaistinu se rodi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
