Feliz Natal
/feˈliz naˈtaw/
Merry Christmas in Portuguese is Feliz Natal.
Feliz Natal is the standard way to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. It is often paired with Boas Festas (Happy Holidays) to cover the broader holiday season. In Portugal, the variation Feliz Natal e um Próspero Ano Novo means 'Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year'.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Feliz (happy) and Natal (Christmas/Birth).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective Feliz remains the same regardless of whether you are wishing it to one person or many people.
How do you pronounce it?
/feˈliz naˈtaw/
Did you know?
- The word feliz in Feliz Natal shares an ancient root with the Proto-Indo-European word for 'to suckle'.
- The name of the South African province Natal was actually inspired by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, who arrived there on Christmas Day in 1497.
- The adjective Feliz is derived from the Latin 'felix', which is related to the concept of being 'fruitful' or 'productive'.
Examples in context
- Feliz Natal pra todo mundo!Merry Christmas, everybody!Tatoeba #6557097 by carlosalberto, translation #6556054 by BHO
- Eu lhe desejo um feliz Natal.I wish you a Merry Christmas.Tatoeba #1560134 by alexmarcelo, translation #62819 by lilygilder
- Feliz Natal para você também.Merry Christmas to you, too.Tatoeba #8008945 by jvlopes91, translation #5736627 by CM
- Desejo-lhe um Feliz Natal repleto de amor e alegriaWishing you a Merry Christmas filled with love and joy
- Que esta época natalina seja marcada por momentos felizes ao lado dos seus entes queridosMay this Christmas season be marked by happy moments with your loved ones
- Boas Festas! Que todos os seus desejos se tornem realidade neste Natal!Happy Holidays! May all your wishes come true this Christmas!
- Desejo-lhe um Natal cheio de paz e alegria, na companhia dos seus entes queridos.I wish you a Christmas filled with peace and joy, surrounded by your loved ones.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Felipe are seeing each other at a Christmas party.
- JulianaOi Felipe, Feliz Natal!Hi Felipe, Merry Christmas!
- FelipeObrigado, Juliana! Feliz Natal para você também.Thank you, Juliana! Merry Christmas to you too.
- JulianaVocê vai passar o feriado com sua família?Are you spending the holiday with your family?
- FelipeSim, vou viajar para o interior.Yes, I am traveling to the countryside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries Feliz Natal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Feliz Natal, Natal, feliz, natal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
