selamat Natal
/səˈlamat ˈnatal/word by word
To say merry Christmas in Indonesian, use selamat Natal. If unsure, use selamat Natal. Wiktionary also lists selamat hari Natal.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA |
|---|---|
| selamat Natal | /səˈlamat ˈnatal/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) |
| selamat hari Natal | /səˈlamat ˈhari ˈnatal/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) |
The phrase is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season.
What does it mean word for word?
The word selamat literally means safe, blessed or congratulations and is used in many different Indonesian greetings. The word hari means day.
Which one should you use?
selamat Natal is a more concise and common way to say merry Christmas than the longer selamat hari Natal.
How do you pronounce it?
/səˈlamat ˈnatal/
Did you know?
- The root of selamat can be traced back to the Arabic word for 'peace', showing how deeply Islamic linguistic traditions have influenced Indonesian secular greetings.
- In some formal Indonesian contexts, Christmas greetings are written on decorative cards called kartu Natal and sent to business associates to maintain social harmony.
- If you use selamat in a different context, like selamat jalan, you are actually wishing someone a 'safe journey' rather than saying 'goodbye'.
Examples in context
- Selamat hari Natal, Ukraina!Merry Christmas, Ukraine!This sentence shows how to use selamat hari Natal to address a country.Tatoeba #12230238 by Pacific, translation #12230059 by morbrorper
- Selamat Natal!Merry Christmas!This sentence shows the use of selamat Natal as a general greeting.Tatoeba #11572290 by Pacific, translation #1723 by brauliobezerra
- Selamat Natal kepada semua pendukung Tom dan salam hangat dari kami untuk tahun 2016 yang damai dan sangat baikMerry Christmas to all of Tom's supporters and our best wishes for a very good and peaceful 2016.This sentence uses selamat Natal to offer Christmas wishes alongside wishes for the new year.Tatoeba #4790491 by Renzonokuken, translation #4790486 by anthrax26
- Selamat Natal, Sahabat! Semoga kedamaian dan sukacita Natal menyertai kita semua.Merry Christmas, friend! May peace and joy of Christmas be with us all.
- Selamat Hari Natal! Semoga hari Natalmu penuh kebahagiaan.Happy Christmas Day! May your Christmas day be filled with joy.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends greet each other during the holiday season.
- MayaSelamat Natal, Budi!Merry Christmas, Budi!
- BudiSelamat Natal juga, Maya!Merry Christmas to you too, Maya!
- MayaSemoga harimu menyenangkan.I hope you have a wonderful day.
- BudiTerima kasih, Maya.Thank you, Maya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (selamat, Natal, hari) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Natal, hari, natal, selamat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
