Wesołych Świąt
/vɛˈsɔ.wɘx ˈɕfjɔnt/
Merry Xmas in Polish is Wesołych Świąt.
Wesołych Świąt is a greeting used to wish someone a happy Christmas holiday.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'Merry Holidays'. Wesołych is the genitive plural form of 'merry/happy' and Świąt is the genitive plural form of 'holiday/feast'.
Which one should you use?
While Wesołych Świąt is the common shorthand for 'Merry Christmas', the full, more formal version is Wesołych Świąt Bożego Narodzenia.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is in the genitive case, which is used here to express a wish (for example, '[I wish you] merry holidays').
How do you pronounce it?
/vɛˈsɔ.wɘx ˈɕfjɔnt/
Did you know?
- While Wesołych Świąt is used for Christmas, Poles also use this exact same phrase to wish someone a happy Easter, as both are referred to as Święta.
- When wishing someone Wesołych Świąt, Poles often break and share a thin piece of unleavened bread called an opłatek.
- If someone wishes you Wesołych Świąt, a common and polite way to reply is Dziękuję, wzajemnie, which means 'Thank you, mutually'.
Examples in context
- Wesołych Świąt!Merry Christmas!
- Wszystkim życzę Wesołych Świąt.I wish everyone Merry Christmas.
- Małgorzata powiedziała: Wesołych Świąt!Małgorzata said: Merry Christmas!
Example conversation
Małgorzata and Tomasz meet in the hallway before the holiday break.
- MałgorzataCześć Tomasz, Wesołych Świąt!Hi Tomasz, Merry Christmas!
- TomaszDziękuję, Małgorzato. Tobie również Wesołych Świąt!Thank you, Małgorzata. Merry Christmas to you too!
- MałgorzataWidzimy się po przerwie.I will see you after the break.
- TomaszTak, do zobaczenia!Yes, see you!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Wesołych Świąt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
