veselé Vianoce
/ˈvɛsɛɫɛː ˈvi̯anɔt͡sɛ/
veselé Vianoce is the Slovak way to say merry Christmas.
The 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 consists of the adjective veselé, meaning merry or happy and the noun Vianoce, meaning Christmas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɛsɛɫɛː ˈvi̯anɔtsɛ/
When do people say it?
When someone says Veselé Vianoce!, a common way to respond is Vám aj! (To you as well!) or Vám aj veselé Vianoce!
Did you know?
- The word Vianoce is a linguistic hybrid, combining a phonetic imitation of the German word 'Weihnachten' with the Slovak word 'noc' for 'night'.
- In traditional Slovak households, the phrase veselé Vianoce is often spoken while sharing a piece of 'oblátka', a thin communion wafer, with family members.
- In Slovak tradition, the Christmas feast begins only after the first star appears in the night sky. This celestial signal is the cue to start the meal and exchange wishes like veselé Vianoce.
Examples in context
- Veselé Vianoce aj vám!Merry Christmas to you as well!This sentence shows how to respond to a Christmas wish by saying 'to you as well' using veselé Vianoce.Tatoeba #8957866 by Dominika7, translation #8858059 by moxy
- Želám vám veselé Vianoce!I wish you a Merry Christmas.This sentence is useful for expressing the wish 'I wish you a Merry Christmas' using veselé Vianoce.Tatoeba #8918782 by Dominika7, translation #62819 by lilygilder
- Veselé Vianoce!Merry Christmas!This sentence is a simple way to say 'Merry Christmas!' using veselé Vianoce.Tatoeba #7496458 by felvideki, translation #1723 by brauliobezerra
- Veselé Vianoce, pani Nováková. Prajeme vám pokoj a šťastie v tento sviatočný čas.Merry Christmas, Mrs. Nováková. We wish you peace and happiness during this holiday season.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a Christmas market.
- KateřinaAhoj Jakub, veselé Vianoce!Hi Jakub, merry Christmas!
- JakubAhoj Kateřina, ďakujem, tebie tiež!Hi Kateřina, thank you, you too!
- KateřinaUži si pečené vianočky.Enjoy your baked Christmas cookies.
- JakubĎakujem, prajem ti pokojné sviatky.Thanks, I wish you peaceful holidays.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries veselé Vianoce, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Vianoce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
