kú ọdún Kérésìmesì
The English phrase "merry Christmas" is translated into Yoruba as kú ọdún Kérésìmesì. If unsure, use kú ọdún Kérésìmesì. Wiktionary also lists kú ọdún and kú ìyèdún.
Meaning: good wishes at Christmas time (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Yoruba |
|---|
| kú ọdún Kérésìmesì |
| kú ọdún |
| kú ìyèdún |
You use this phrase to offer good wishes during the Christmas season. While kú ọdún Kérésìmesì is the specific way to say "Merry Christmas", you can also use the shortened form kú ọdún as a shorthand greeting during the Christmas season.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase kú ọdún literally means "congratulations on the festival/year", where ọdún means year. The word Kérésìmesì is a Yoruba transliteration of the English word "Christmas".
Which one should you use?
kú ọdún Kérésìmesì is the specific way to say "Merry Christmas", whereas kú ọdún is a general greeting used for any annual festival or celebration.
Did you know?
- The word kú in these greetings does not mean 'die' as it does in other contexts but acts as a prefix for greetings and congratulations.
- In Yoruba culture, the greeting kú ọdún is often accompanied by a slight bow or a respectful gesture to elders during the festivities.
- The use of Kérésìmesì reflects the historical influence of British missionary activity and the English language in Southwestern Nigeria.
Examples in context
- Kú ọdún Kérésìmesì sí gbogbo ayé.Merry Christmas to the whole world.
Example conversation
Folake and Femi meet on the street during the holiday season.
- FolakeFemi, kú ọdún Kérésìmesì!Femi, Merry Christmas!
- FemiO sheu, Folake! Kú ọdún Kérésìmesì na!Thank you, Folake! Merry Christmas to you too!
- FolakeSe o ni ayo loni?Are you having joy today?
- FemiBeeni, mo ni ayo pupo.Yes, I have much joy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “merry Christmas” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
