חג מולד שמח
khag molad sameakh
חג מולד שמח (khag molad sameakh) is the Hebrew phrase for Merry Christmas.
This phrase is used to express good wishes at Christmas time. It is primarily used by Hebrew speakers within Christian communities or when addressing non-Jewish friends who are celebrating the holiday.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of khag (holiday), molad (birth) and sameakh (happy).
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the adjective sameakh (happy) follows the noun phrase khag molad (Christmas).
How do you pronounce it?
khag molad sameakh
Did you know?
- The word מולד (molad) refers to a birth or a new moon, which is a concept central to how the Hebrew calendar tracks months and years.
- The word חג used in the phrase shares the same root as the word for 'pilgrimage' in Arabic, linking the concept of a 'holiday' to the ancient tradition of traveling to a sacred site.
- While חג מולד שמח is perfectly understood, many Hebrew speakers will simply use the English phrase 'Merry Christmas' even when speaking Hebrew, as it has become a globalized loan-phrase.
Examples in context
- חג מולד שמח, תום.Merry Christmas, Tom.This is useful for seeing how to address someone by name with the phrase חג מולד שמח.Tatoeba #13094367 by fekundulo, translation #11860032 by CK
- חג מולד שמח, אהובי!Merry Christmas, my love!This shows how to use the phrase as an affectionate greeting with חג מולד שמח.Tatoeba #1320258 by Eldad, translation #1320234 by Eldad
- אני מאחל לך חג מולד שמח.I wish you a Merry Christmas.This demonstrates how to use the phrase within a full sentence when expressing a wish with חג מולד שמח.Tatoeba #1711642 by MrShoval, translation #62819 by lilygilder
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maya and Daniel meet in the street before the holiday.
- מאיה Mayaהיי דניאל, חג מולד שמח!Hey Daniel, chag molad sameach!Hi Daniel, merry Christmas!
- דניאל Danielתודה מאיה, גם לך חג מולד שמח!Toda Maya, gam lach chag molad sameach!Thanks Maya, merry Christmas to you too!
- מאיה Mayaאתה חוגג עם המשפחה?Atah chogeg im hamishpacha?Are you celebrating with the family?
- דניאל Danielכן, אנחנו נפגשים מחר.Ken, anachnu nifgashim machar.Yes, we are meeting tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries חג, שמח, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
