maligayang Pasko
/maliˌɡajaŋ pasˈko/
Merry Christmas in Tagalog is maligayang Pasko.
The phrase is used to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. While maligayang Pasko is the standard translation, many people in the Philippines also use the English phrase Merry Christmas in casual conversation.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
maligayang is an adjective form of maligaya, which means happy and Pasko means Christmas.
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -ng is added to maligaya to create maligayang, which links the adjective to the noun Pasko.
How do you pronounce it?
/maliˌɡajaŋ pasˈko/
Did you know?
- In the Philippines, the Christmas season is one of the longest in the world, often starting in September, so you might hear maligayang Pasko much earlier than in Western countries.
- Filipinos often pair maligayang Pasko with a mano gesture where they take an elder's hand and press it to their own forehead.
- The word Pasko is actually a linguistic relative of the word 'Easter' in English. Both words trace back to the same ancient roots referring to the Passover holiday.
Examples in context
- Binabati ka namin ng Maligayang Pasko.We wish you a Merry Christmas.This sentence shows how to use maligayang Pasko to wish someone a Merry Christmas.Tatoeba #11368893 by qwertzu, translation #10272163 by SabukHitam
- Nais ko lang kitang batiin ng Maligayang Pasko.I just want to wish you a merry Christmas.This sentence demonstrates a desire to wish someone a Merry Christmas using maligayang Pasko.Tatoeba #8665859 by artemio, translation #5679192 by CK
- Bumabati kami ng isang maligayang Pasko.We are greeting one merry Christmas.This sentence illustrates the act of greeting a single Merry Christmas using maligayang Pasko.
- Maligayang Pasko sa 'yo! Ano ang plano mo ngayong Pasko?Merry Christmas to you! What are your plans for Christmas?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jose and Maria meet at a Christmas party.
- JoseMaligayang Pasko, Maria!Merry Christmas, Maria!
- MariaMaligayang Pasko rin sa iyo, Jose.Merry Christmas to you too, Jose.
- JoseSalamat! Kumusta ang iyong pamilya?Thanks! How is your family?
- MariaMabuti naman sila. Salamat.They are doing well. Thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries maligayang Pasko, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pasko, maligayang Pasko, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
