il-Milied it-Tajjeb
/(ɪ)l.mɪˈlɪː.t‿ɪtˈtaj.jɛp/
il-Milied it-Tajjeb is the Maltese phrase for merry Christmas.
This phrase is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'the Christmas the good'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term for Christmas, il-Milied, is a noun that includes the definite article il- (the).
How do you pronounce it?
/(ɪ)l.mɪˈlɪː.t‿ɪtˈtaj.jɛp/
When do people say it?
If you wish to extend your greeting to include the New Year, you can say Il-Milied it-Tajjeb u is-Sena t-Tajba!, which means 'A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!'
Did you know?
- The word Milied is actually derived from the Semitic root meaning 'birth', making it a cognate of the Arabic word for 'birth' rather than a Latin-based word like 'Christmas'.
- Because Maltese is a Semitic language, the word for 'the' in il-Milied changes its form to it- in it-Tajjeb to match the starting letter of the following word.
- If you are greeting someone in a very religious context, you might hear people simply say Santa Festa, which means 'Holy Feast'.
Examples in context
- Il-Milied it-tajjeb!Merry Christmas!This sentence shows how to use il-Milied it-Tajjeb as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #1387583 by enteka, translation #1723 by brauliobezerra
- Il-Milied it-tajjeb lil dawk li tħobb!Merry Christmas to those you love!
Example conversation
Jessica and Andre meet in the street before Christmas.
- JessicaCiao Andre, il-Milied it-Tajjeb!Hi Andre, Merry Christmas!
- AndreGrazzi Jessica! Il-Milied it-Tajjeb ukoll għalik.Thanks Jessica! Merry Christmas to you too.
- JessicaSe tmexxi l-familja għad-dinara?Are you taking the family to dinner?
- AndreIyeh, sejna nmorru fl-għodwa.Yes, we are going tomorrow morning.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries il-Milied it-Tajjeb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
