frohe Weihnachten
/ˌfʁoːə ˈvaɪ̯naxtn̩/
To say "merry christmas" in German, you use frohe Weihnachten. Wiktionary also lists fröhliche Weihnachten.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| frohe Weihnachten | /ˌfʁoːə ˈvaɪ̯naxtn̩/ |
| fröhliche Weihnachten | /ˈfʁøːlɪçə ˈvaɪ̯naxtn̩/ |
The phrases are used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. When used as a standalone greeting, the phrase is typically used as an exclamation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase frohe Weihnachten literally means "happy Christmas".
Which one should you use?
Both frohe Weihnachten and fröhliche Weihnachten are used to say "Merry Christmas" and are largely interchangeable.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌfʁoːə ˈvaɪ̯naxtn̩/
Did you know?
- While Weihnachten is a noun, the verb weihnachten exists in the German language. It was coined in 1862 by the poet Theodor Storm for his poem 'Knecht Ruprecht'.
- The adjective froh in frohe Weihnachten shares a distant root with the English word 'free', reflecting an ancient connection between joy and liberation.
- In Germany, it is common to wish frohe Weihnachten starting in the first week of December, whereas in English 'Merry Christmas' is often reserved for the days closest to the 25th.
Examples in context
- Fröhliche Weihnachten, mein Schatz!Merry Christmas, my love!This sentence shows how to use fröhliche Weihnachten in an affectionate greeting.Tatoeba #1320239 by Vortarulo, translation #1320234 by Eldad
- Wir wünschen dir frohe Weihnachten!We wish you a Merry Christmas.This sentence shows how to use frohe Weihnachten within a complete sentence to wish someone well.Tatoeba #11810115 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10272163 by SabukHitam
- Tom wünschte mir frohe Weihnachten.Tom wished me Merry Christmas.This sentence demonstrates the use of frohe Weihnachten in the past tense.Tatoeba #13655708 by Naina, translation #13653889 by Ergulis
- Ich wünsche dir und deiner Familie fröhliche Weihnachtstage und ein gesegnetes neues Jahr!I wish you and your family joyful Christmas holidays and a blessed New Year!
- Frohes Fest! Lass uns das Weihnachtsfest zusammen genießen.Happy Holidays! Let's enjoy the Christmas season together.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are saying goodbye after a Christmas Eve party.
- SarahFrohe Weihnachten, Felix!Merry Christmas, Felix!
- FelixDanke, Sarah! Dir auch frohe Weihnachten.Thanks, Sarah! Merry Christmas to you too.
- SarahVielen Dank!Thank you very much!
- FelixBis zum neuen Jahr!See you in the new year!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry christmas” translations and entries frohe Weihnachten, fröhliche Weihnachten, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Weihnachten, weihnachten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
