Nadolig Llawen
/naˈdɔlɪɡ ˈɬau̯.ɛn/word by word
Merry Christmas in Welsh is Nadolig Llawen.
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 is composed of Nadolig, which means Christmas and Llawen, which means merry or happy.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Welsh, the adjective Llawen follows the noun Nadolig, which is the opposite of the English word order.
How do you pronounce it?
/naˈdɔlɪɡ ˈɬau̯.ɛn/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd of 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term Nadolig is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'natal', as both originate from the Latin word 'natalis' meaning 'pertaining to birth'.
- Welsh uses a unique letter ll in Llawen that produces a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative, a sound not found in English.
- While you might expect a phrase for 'Merry Christmas' to use the common Welsh word for happy, hapus, the word llawen is actually preferred for this specific greeting.
Examples in context
- Dymunwn ni Nadolig Llawen i chi.We wish you a Merry Christmas.This sentence is useful for wishing someone a Merry Christmas using the form Nadolig Llawen.Tatoeba #10272160 by SabukHitam, translation #10272163 by SabukHitam
- Nadolig Llawen!Merry Christmas!
- Hoffwn ddymuno Nadolig Llawen i bawb yn y stafell!I'd like to wish everyone in the room Merry Christmas!
- Nadolig Llawen i chi!Merry Christmas to you!
- Nadolig Llawen i bawb!Merry Christmas to everyone!
- Diolch, gobeithio y bydd pawb yn cael Nadolig gwych!Thanks, hopefully everyone will have a great Christmas!
- Dymunaf i chi Nadolig Llawen.I wish you a Merry Christmas.
Example conversation
Gareth and Elowen meet at a Christmas party.
- GarethHelo Elowen, Nadolig Llawen!Hello Elowen, Merry Christmas!
- ElowenDiolch Gareth, Nadolig Llawen i ti!Thanks Gareth, Merry Christmas to you!
- GarethYdy chi'n mwynhau'r parti?Are you enjoying the party?
- ElowenYdw, mae'n wych!Yes, it is great!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations and entries Nadolig Llawen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Nadolig, llawen) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nadolig, llawen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
