メリークリスマス
merii kurisumasu[me̞ɾʲiː kɯ̟ɾʲisɨma̠sɨ]
Merry Christmas in Japanese is メリークリスマス (merii kurisumasu).
The phrase メリークリスマス is used to express good wishes at Christmas time. Because this is a loanword from English, it is written in Katakana, the script used for foreign words.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
How do you pronounce it?
merii kurisumasu
When do people say it?
In Japan, Christmas is primarily a commercial and romantic holiday rather than a religious one, so the phrase is used more like a seasonal greeting than a religious blessing.
Did you know?
- You will often see メリークリスマス paired with the image of a fried chicken bucket, as KFC has become a massive cultural tradition in Japan for Christmas dinner.
- In Japan, the phrase メリークリスマス is often exchanged between romantic partners, as the day is treated more like a second 'Valentine's Day' than a family gathering.
- Although メリークリスマス is common, Japan has no public holiday for Christmas, so people say it while still heading to work or school.
Examples in context
- メリークリスマス！Merry Christmas!Tatoeba #5125 by bunbuku, translation #1723 by brauliobezerra
- メリークリスマス。Merry Christmas.Tatoeba #1202223 by bunbuku, translation #10485139 by hecko
- みんな、メリークリスマス！Minna, merī kurisumasu!Merry Christmas, everyone!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are decorating their living room for the holidays.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵、メリークリスマス！Himari, merī kurisumasu!Merry Christmas, Himari!
- 陽葵 Himari陽太兄ちゃん、メリークリスマス！Youta-niichan, merī kurisumasu!Merry Christmas, Youta!
- 陽太 Yotaツリーがとても綺麗だね。Tsurī ga totemo kirei da ne.The tree is very beautiful, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、すごく可愛いよ。Un, sugoku kawaii yo.Yeah, it's really cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries メリークリスマス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
