It’s that time of the year when instead of “Goodbye,” we say, “Merry Christmas!”

And because we live in Calgary, Canada, with an international population, we often hear different languages daily. So I thought it would be fun to learn “Merry Christmas” in different languages.

You can now learn to say (or write) Merry Christmas in 100 most spoken languages by the number of native speakers. (Rankings of languages sourced from International Phonetic Alphabet)

This post turned into a lot of work as it’s not as easy as using google translator. It took me many hours to find all translations. Sometimes I had to look at Christmas ornaments on Amazon to find out how to say Merry Christmas in different Indian dialects, just to give you an example.

Hope you enjoy it!

As we say in our home country Slovakia: Veselé Vianoce!

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Merry Christmas in different languages

1. Mandarin: Shèngdàn jié kuàilè (圣诞节快乐)

Spoken in: China, Taiwan, Singapore

2. Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Spoken in: Hispanic America, Spain, United States, Equatorial Guinea, Western Sahara, Pacific islands

3. English: Merry Christmas

Spoken in: Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Singapore, Philippines

4. Hindi: krisamas kee badhaee (क्रिसमस की बधाई)

Spoken in: India, Fiji, Nepal

5. Arabic: eid milad majid (عِيد مِيلَاد مَجِيد)

Spoken in: North Africa, Western Asia (Middle East), East Africa

6. Portuguese: Feliz Natal

Spoken in: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste

7. Bengali: Śubha baṛadina (শুভ বড়দিন)

Spoken in: Bangladesh, West Bengal (India), Tripura (India), Assam (India)

8. Russian: schastlivogo Rozhdestva (счастливого Рождества)

Spoken in: Russia, former Republics of the Soviet Union, Mongolia, Israel

9. Japanese: Merīkurisumasu (メリークリスマス)

Spoken in: Japan

10. Punjabi: Mērī karisamasa (ਮੇਰੀ ਕਰਿਸਮਸ)

Spoken in: Punjab region (India, Pakistan)

11. German: Frohe Weihnachten

Spoken in: Austria, Belgium (Eupen-Malmedy), Germany, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, South Tirol (in Italy)

12. Javanese: sugeng natal

Spoken in: Java (Indonesia)

13. Wu: sen te jiq (T2) (圣诞节快乐！)

Spoken in: Zhejiang, Shanghai, southern Jiangsu (eastern China)

14. Malay/Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal/ Selamat Natal

Spoken in: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore

15. Korean: meli keuliseumaseu (메리 크리스마스)

Spoken in: North Korea, South Korea

16. Telugu: Krismas śubhākāṅkṣalu (క్రిస్మస్ శుభాకాంక్షలు)

Spoken in: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry (India)

17. Vietnamese: Giáng sinh vui vẻ

Spoken in: Vietnam

18. French: Joyeux Noël

Spoken in: Belgium (Wallonia, Brussels), Canada (particularly Quebec, New Brunswick and Eastern parts of Ontario), France, Switzerland, Francophone Africa, French Caribbean, French Polynesia, various islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans

19. Marathi: Mērī khrisamasa (मेरी ख्रिसमस)

Spoken in: Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat (India)

20. Tamil: Kiṟistumas vāḻttukkaḷ (கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள்)

Spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka (India), Puducherry (India), Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius

21. Urdu: merī krismas (میری کرسمس)

Spoken in: India, Pakistan

22. Persian: kerismas mobârak (کریسمس مبارک)

Spoken in: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan

23. Turkish: Mutlu Noeller

Spoken in: Turkey, Cyprus, Bulgaria

24. Cantonese: sing3 daan3 faai3 lok6 (聖誕快樂)

Spoken in: Guangdong (Canton), southern Guangxi (southern China), Hong Kong, Macau

25. Italian: Buon Natale

Spoken in: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino

26. Thai: S̄uk̄hs̄ạnt̒ wạn khris̄t̒mās̄ (สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส)

Spoken in: Thailand

27. Gujarati: Mērī krisamasa (મેરી ક્રિસમસ)

Spoken in: Gujarat (India)

28. Jin: shèng dàn kuài lè (圣诞快乐)

Spoken in: Shanxi, parts of Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi (northern China)

29. Min Nan: Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

Spoken in: Fujian, the eastern part of Guandong (southeastern China), Hainan (southern China), Taiwan, Malaysia

30. Polish: Wesołych Świąt

Spoken in: Poland, USA, Germany, United Kingdom, Belarus, western Ukraine, Lithuania

31. Pashto: aisawi newi kall )کرسمس مو مبارک)

Spoken in: Afghanistan, Pakistan

32. Kannada: Krismas śubhāśayagaḷu (ಕ್ರಿಸ್ಮಸ್ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು)

Spoken in: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra (India)

33. Malayalam: santēāṣakaramāya krismas (സന്തോഷകരമായ ക്രിസ്മസ്)

Spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mahé (India)

34. Sundanese: Wilujeng Natal

Spoken in: Java (Indonesia)

35. Xiang: Sheng Dan Kuai Le

Spoken in: Hunan (south-central China)

36. Hausa: barka da Kirsimeti

Spoken in: Nigeria

37. Burmese: pyawshwinsaw hkarahchcamaat hpyitparhcay

Spoken in: Burma

38. Oriya: mērī krisamās (ମେରୀ କ୍ରିସମାସ୍)

Spoken in: Odisha (India)

39. Hakka: sin dan kwiy loh (圣诞快乐)

Spoken in: Southern China

40. Ukrainian: shchaslyvoho Rizdva (щасливого Різдва)

Spoken in: Ukraine

41. Bhojpuri: bada din aa naya saal Mubarak (बड़ा दिन आ नया साल मुबारक हो)

Spoken in: Bihar (India)

42. Tagalog: Maligayang Pasko

Spoken in: Manila and Northern Philippines

43. Yoruba: ikini ọdun keresimesi

Spoken in: Nigeria, Benin and Togo

44. Maithili: krisamas kee badhaee (क्रिसमस की बधाई)

Spoken in: Bihar (India)

45. Sindhi: Chrismas Joon Wadhayoon

Spoken in: Sindh (Pakistan and neighbouring areas in India)

46. Swahili: Krismasi njema

Spoken in: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda

47. Uzbek: Rojdestvo muborak

Spoken in: Uzbekistan

48. Amharic: melikami gena (መልካም ገና)

Spoken in: Ethiopia

49. Fula: Jabbama be salla Kirismati

Spoken in: West and Central Africa, from Senegal to Sudan

50. Igbo: Ezi ekeresimesi

Spoken in: Nigeria

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51. Oromo: Ayyaana dhalootaa gaarii

Spoken in: Ethiopia and Kenya

52. Romanian: Craciun Fericit

Spoken in: Romania, Moldova

53. Azerbaijani: Milad bayramınız mübarək

Spoken in: Azerbaijan and Northern Iran

54. Awadhi: meri krismas (मेरी क्रिसमस)

Spoken in: Uttar Pradesh (India)

55. Gan: Shèngdàn Jié kuàilè (圣诞节快乐)

Spoken in: Jiangxi (Southeastern China)

56. Cebuano: maayong Pasko

Spoken in: Central and Southern Philippines

57. Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest

Spoken in: Belgium (Flanders, Brussels), Netherlands and Suriname

58. Kurdish: Kirîstmas piroz be

Spoken in: Kurdistan, northern Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria

59. Serbo-Croatian: Sretan Božić

Spoken in: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro

60. Malagasy: tratry ny krismasy

Spoken in: Madagascar

61. Nepali: Mērī krisamasa (मेरी क्रिसमस)

Spoken in: Nepal and neighbouring areas, Sikkim, (India)

62. Saraiki: Milaad e Maseeh Mubaarak

Spoken in: Sindh (Pakistan)

63. Chittagonian: shubho [or shuvo] bôṛodin (শুভ বড়দিন)

Spoken in: Chittagong in Bangladesh

64. Khmer: rikreay​ thngai​ bony​ nauel (រីករាយ​ថ្ងៃ​បុណ្យ​ណូអែល)

Spoken in: Cambodia

65. Sinhalese: suba nattalak (සුබ නත්තලක්)

Spoken in: Sri Lanka

66. Zhuang: Shèngdàn jié kuàilè (圣诞节快乐)

Spoken in: Guangxi (Southern China)

67. Assamese: meri khristmas (মেৰী খ্রীষ্টমাচ)

Spoken in: Assam (India)

68. Madurese: Pada salamet sabhala bengko areja

Spoken in: Madura and Java (Indonesia)

69. Somali: Christmas wanaagsan

Spoken in: Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Yemen

70. Haryanvi: Shub Naya Baras

Spoken in: Haryana (India)

71. Magahi: /baɽaː d̪ɪn ɔuː nəjaː saːl mʊbaːrək/ (बड़ा दिन आउ नया साल मुबाराक)

Spoken in: Bihar (India)

72. Marwari: krisamas kee badhaee (क्रिसमस की बधाई)

Spoken in: Rajasthan (India and Pakistan)

73. Hungarian: boldog Karácsonyt

Spoken in: Hungary and areas in neighbouring countries

74. Chewa: Khrisimasi yabwino

Spoken in: Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe

75. Chhattisgarhi: krisamas kee badhaee (क्रिसमस की बधाई)

Spoken in: Chhattisgarh (India)

76. Greek: kalá Christoúgenna (καλά Χριστούγεννα)

Spoken in: Greece, Cyprus

77. Akan: Afishapa

Spoken in: Ghana, Ivory Coast

78. Deccan: Śubh krisamas’ (शुभ क्रिसमस)

Spoken in: Deccan (India)

79. Kazakh: Rojdestvo quttı bolsın (Рождество құтты болсын)

Spoken in: Kazakhstan

80. Min Bei: Shèngdàn Jié kuàilè! (圣诞节快乐！)

Spoken in: Fujian (Southeastern China)

81. Sylheti: shubó boṛodin

Spoken in: Northern Bangladesh and neighbouring parts of India

82. Zulu: Jabulela Ukhisimusi

Spoken in: South Africa

83. Czech: veselé Vánoce

Spoken in: Czech Republic

84. Kinyarwanda: Noheli nziza

Spoken in: Rwanda

85. Dhundhari: krisamas kee badhaee (क्रिसमस की बधाई)

Spoken in: Rajasthan (India)

86. Haitian Creole: Jwaye Nwel

Spoken in: Haiti

87. Min Dong: Séng-dáng-cáik

Spoken in: Fujian (Southeaster China)

88. Ilokano: Maligayang Pasko

Spoken in: Northern Luzon in the Philippines

89. Quechua: Allinlla Raymi

Spoken in: Peru and Bolivia

90. Kirundi: Noeli Nziza

Spoken in: Burundi and Uganda

91. Swedish: God Jul

Spoken in: Sweden and Finland

92. Hmong: Nyob zoo hnub yug Yesxus

Spoken in: Laos and neighbouring areas

93. Shona: Kisimusi yakanaka

Spoken in: Zimbabwe

94. Hiligaynon: Malipayon nga Paskwa

Spoken in: Western Visayas in the Philippines

95. Uyghur: Rojistıwa bayrımıngızgä mubaräk

Spoken in: Xinjiang (Western China)

96. Balochi: krisamas kee badhaee

Spoken in: Balochistan (province in Pakistan and Iran)

97. Belarusian: z Kaliadami (з Калядамі)

Spoken in: Belarus

98. Mossi: Joyeux Noël

Spoken in: Burkina Faso

99. Xhosa: Ikrismesi emnandi

Spoken in: South Africa

100. Konkani: Khushal Borit Natala

Spoken in: Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra (States in India)

Bonus 101. Slovak: Veselé Vianoce

Spoken in: Slovakia (our home country)

Did you enjoy learning to say Merry Christmas in different languages? Have you found your language?

I used Google Translate and many other sources to find all translations, but if you find any mistake, please let me know in the comments below, and I’ll correct it right away.

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