Año Nuevo
/aɲo nwebo/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase "new year's day" is translated into Spanish as Año Nuevo.
Año Nuevo is used to refer to both the specific day of New Year's Day and the holiday season in general. For example, you might speak of an Almuerzo de Año Nuevo to mean a New Year's Day lunch.
Meaning: holiday occurring on the first day of the year (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use Nochevieja when you want to refer specifically to New Year's Eve, while Año Nuevo refers to the day itself or the wider holiday period.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to the holiday or the specific day, the masculine definite article el is typically used, forming el Año Nuevo.
When do people say it?
It is customary to wish others ¡Próspero Año Nuevo! (Prosperous New Year!).
Did you know?
- A common tradition for Año Nuevo involves walking outside with a suitcase to ensure that the coming year brings travel and trips.
- Some people wear specific colors of underwear on Año Nuevo, such as red for love or yellow for money and wealth.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, people celebrate the arrival of Año Nuevo by eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each chime of the clock.
Examples in context
- A Nochevieja le sigue Año Nuevo.New Year's Eve is followed by New Year's Day.This sentence shows the sequence of New Year's Eve and Año Nuevo.Tatoeba #7583620 by arh, translation #12245257 by Miktsoanit
- Había estado sobrio durante casi un año, pero cayó en la tentación por Año Nuevo.He had been dry for almost a year, but he fell off the wagon around New Year's Day.This sentence uses Año Nuevo to describe a period of temptation.Tatoeba #1807238 by Shishir, translation #293814 by papabear
- Mary celebra el Año Nuevo con su familia.Mary celebrates New Year's Day with her family.This sentence shows how someone celebrates Año Nuevo.Tatoeba #1366113 by AMIKEMA, translation #680486 by Source_VOA
- ¿Dónde pasarás el Día de Año Nuevo?Where will you spend New Year's Day?
- Mis amigos y yo nos reunimos el primer día del año para hacer una comida especial.My friends and I gather on the first day of the year to have a special meal.
- ¿Qué planes tienes para el primer día del año próximo?What are your plans for the first day of the coming year?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are planning their celebration for the first day of January.
- Daniel¿Qué planes tienes para el Año Nuevo?What are your plans for New Year's Day?
- SofíaVoy a cenar con mi familia.I am going to have dinner with my family.
- Daniel¡Qué bien! Yo también celebraré el Año Nuevo en casa.That's great! I will also celebrate New Year's Day at home.
- SofíaEspero que pases un día muy feliz.I hope you have a very happy day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new year's day” translations and entries Año Nuevo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
