How To Say Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays In Chinese
Learn the most useful holiday greetings in simplified Chinese: 圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè, 节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè, and more real phrases people actually send.
The two big winners are very simple. 圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè means Merry Christmas, and 节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè means Happy Holidays. Nice, clean, useful, no festive drama required.
This guide gives you the greetings, pinyin, meanings, and real example sentences so you can text a friend, write a card, or post something cheerful without sounding like a confused snowman.
Start With These Two
圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè = Merry Christmas
句子 Jùzi: 祝你圣诞快乐。Zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè. = Wish you a Merry Christmas.
节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè = Happy Holidays
句子 Jùzi: 祝大家节日快乐。Zhù dàjiā jiérì kuàilè. = Happy holidays to everyone.
Essential Holiday Greetings
圣诞快乐
Shèngdàn kuàilè
Merry Christmas
祝你圣诞快乐。Zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè. = Wish you a Merry Christmas.
节日快乐
Jiérì kuàilè
Happy Holidays
祝大家节日快乐。Zhù dàjiā jiérì kuàilè. = Happy holidays to everyone.
圣诞节快乐
Shèngdànjié kuàilè
Happy Christmas / Merry Christmas
祝老师圣诞节快乐！Zhù lǎoshī Shèngdànjié kuàilè! = Merry Christmas, teacher!
新年快乐
Xīnnián kuàilè
Happy New Year
提前祝你新年快乐。Tíqián zhù nǐ Xīnnián kuàilè. = Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance.
祝你节日愉快
Zhù nǐ jiérì yúkuài
Wish you happy holidays
祝你节日愉快，玩得开心。Zhù nǐ jiérì yúkuài, wán de kāixīn. = Happy holidays, and have fun.
祝你有个美好的圣诞节
Zhù nǐ yǒu ge měihǎo de Shèngdànjié
Wish you a wonderful Christmas
祝你有个美好的圣诞节和新年。Zhù nǐ yǒu ge měihǎo de Shèngdànjié hé Xīnnián. = Wish you a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
平安夜快乐
Píng’ān yè kuàilè
Happy Christmas Eve
平安夜快乐，今晚见！Píng’ān yè kuàilè, jīnwǎn jiàn! = Happy Christmas Eve, see you tonight!
假期愉快
Jiàqī yúkuài
Enjoy your holiday break
祝你假期愉快，好好休息。Zhù nǐ jiàqī yúkuài, hǎohǎo xiūxi. = Enjoy your break and get some good rest.
Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences
- 祝你圣诞快乐 Zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè = Wish you a Merry Christmas.
祝你圣诞快乐，也祝你新年快乐。Zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, yě zhù nǐ Xīnnián kuàilè. = Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year too. - 祝大家节日快乐 Zhù dàjiā jiérì kuàilè = Happy holidays, everyone.
我想祝大家节日快乐。Wǒ xiǎng zhù dàjiā jiérì kuàilè. = I want to wish everyone happy holidays. - 圣诞快乐，玩得开心 Shèngdàn kuàilè, wán de kāixīn = Merry Christmas, have fun.
圣诞快乐，玩得开心，别一直看工作消息。Shèngdàn kuàilè, wán de kāixīn, bié yīzhí kàn gōngzuò xiāoxi. = Merry Christmas, have fun, and stop checking work messages. - 节日快乐，注意保暖 Jiérì kuàilè, zhùyì bǎonuǎn = Happy holidays, stay warm.
最近很冷，节日快乐，注意保暖。Zuìjìn hěn lěng, jiérì kuàilè, zhùyì bǎonuǎn. = It has been cold lately, happy holidays, stay warm. - 提前祝你圣诞快乐 Tíqián zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè = Merry Christmas in advance.
我明天不在线，所以提前祝你圣诞快乐。Wǒ míngtiān bú zàixiàn, suǒyǐ tíqián zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè. = I will not be online tomorrow, so Merry Christmas in advance. - 愿你有个温暖的圣诞节 Yuàn nǐ yǒu ge wēnnuǎn de Shèngdànjié = Hope you have a warm Christmas.
愿你有个温暖的圣诞节，和家人好好团聚。Yuàn nǐ yǒu ge wēnnuǎn de Shèngdànjié, hé jiārén hǎohǎo tuánjù. = Hope you have a warm Christmas and a good family reunion. - 祝你和家人节日快乐 Zhù nǐ hé jiārén jiérì kuàilè = Happy holidays to you and your family.
祝你和家人节日快乐，平安健康。Zhù nǐ hé jiārén jiérì kuàilè, píng’ān jiànkāng. = Happy holidays to you and your family, with peace and good health. - 平安夜快乐 Píng’ān yè kuàilè = Happy Christmas Eve.
平安夜快乐，我们晚上一起吃饭吧。Píng’ān yè kuàilè, wǒmen wǎnshang yìqǐ chīfàn ba. = Happy Christmas Eve, let’s have dinner tonight. - 圣诞老人来了 Shèngdàn lǎorén lái le = Santa is here.
孩子们一直说圣诞老人来了。Háizimen yīzhí shuō Shèngdàn lǎorén lái le. = The kids keep saying Santa is here. - 祝你假期愉快 Zhù nǐ jiàqī yúkuài = Enjoy your holiday break.
放假了，祝你假期愉快。Fàngjià le, zhù nǐ jiàqī yúkuài. = The holiday has started, enjoy your break. - 新年也要快乐 Xīnnián yě yào kuàilè = Be happy in the New Year too.
圣诞快乐，新年也要快乐。Shèngdàn kuàilè, Xīnnián yě yào kuàilè. = Merry Christmas, and be happy in the New Year too. - 谢谢你的祝福 Xièxie nǐ de zhùfú = Thanks for your wishes.
谢谢你的祝福，也祝你节日快乐。Xièxie nǐ de zhùfú, yě zhù nǐ jiérì kuàilè. = Thanks for your wishes, and happy holidays to you too.
A Tiny But Useful Difference
圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè is the most direct way to say Merry Christmas. 节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè is broader and works like Happy Holidays. Use it when you want to sound warm without naming one specific holiday. Very handy. Very polite. Zero awkwardness.
Christmas And Holiday Vocabulary Tables
Core Greeting Words
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 圣诞 | Shèngdàn | Christmas | 我喜欢圣诞。Wǒ xǐhuan Shèngdàn. | Wǒ xǐhuan Shèngdàn. | I like Christmas. |
| 圣诞节 | Shèngdànjié | Christmas Day / Christmas | 圣诞节快到了。Shèngdànjié kuài dào le. | Shèngdànjié kuài dào le. | Christmas is coming soon. |
| 快乐 | kuàilè | happy | 祝你快乐。Zhù nǐ kuàilè. | Zhù nǐ kuàilè. | Wish you happiness. |
| 节日 | jiérì | festival / holiday | 这个节日很热闹。Zhège jiérì hěn rènào. | Zhège jiérì hěn rènào. | This holiday is lively. |
| 假期 | jiàqī | vacation / holiday break | 假期终于到了。Jiàqī zhōngyú dào le. | Jiàqī zhōngyú dào le. | The holiday break finally arrived. |
| 新年 | Xīnnián | New Year | 新年快来了。Xīnnián kuài lái le. | Xīnnián kuài lái le. | The New Year is coming soon. |
| 祝 | zhù | to wish | 我祝你平安。Wǒ zhù nǐ píng’ān. | Wǒ zhù nǐ píng’ān. | I wish you peace. |
| 祝福 | zhùfú | blessing / good wishes | 谢谢你的祝福。Xièxie nǐ de zhùfú. | Xièxie nǐ de zhùfú. | Thanks for your good wishes. |
| 愉快 | yúkuài | pleasant / joyful | 祝你旅途愉快。Zhù nǐ lǚtú yúkuài. | Zhù nǐ lǚtú yúkuài. | Have a pleasant trip. |
| 开心 | kāixīn | happy / delighted | 大家今天都很开心。Dàjiā jīntiān dōu hěn kāixīn. | Dàjiā jīntiān dōu hěn kāixīn. | Everyone is happy today. |
| 提前 | tíqián | in advance | 我提前告诉你。Wǒ tíqián gàosu nǐ. | Wǒ tíqián gàosu nǐ. | I am telling you in advance. |
| 愿 | yuàn | to hope / may | 愿你每天开心。Yuàn nǐ měitiān kāixīn. | Yuàn nǐ měitiān kāixīn. | May you be happy every day. |
People, Events, And Christmas Things
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 平安夜 | Píng’ān yè | Christmas Eve | 我们平安夜见。Wǒmen Píng’ān yè jiàn. | Wǒmen Píng’ān yè jiàn. | See you on Christmas Eve. |
| 圣诞老人 | Shèngdàn lǎorén | Santa Claus | 孩子相信圣诞老人。Háizi xiāngxìn Shèngdàn lǎorén. | Háizi xiāngxìn Shèngdàn lǎorén. | The child believes in Santa Claus. |
| 圣诞树 | Shèngdànshù | Christmas tree | 客厅里有一棵圣诞树。Kètīng lǐ yǒu yì kē Shèngdànshù. | Kètīng lǐ yǒu yì kē Shèngdànshù. | There is a Christmas tree in the living room. |
| 礼物 | lǐwù | gift | 我准备了礼物。Wǒ zhǔnbèi le lǐwù. | Wǒ zhǔnbèi le lǐwù. | I prepared a gift. |
| 贺卡 | hèkǎ | greeting card | 我写了一张贺卡。Wǒ xiě le yì zhāng hèkǎ. | Wǒ xiě le yì zhāng hèkǎ. | I wrote a greeting card. |
| 聚会 | jùhuì | party / gathering | 今晚有圣诞聚会。Jīnwǎn yǒu Shèngdàn jùhuì. | Jīnwǎn yǒu Shèngdàn jùhuì. | There is a Christmas party tonight. |
| 家人 | jiārén | family | 我和家人一起过节。Wǒ hé jiārén yìqǐ guòjié. | Wǒ hé jiārén yìqǐ guòjié. | I celebrate the holiday with my family. |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend | 我给朋友发消息。Wǒ gěi péngyou fā xiāoxi. | Wǒ gěi péngyou fā xiāoxi. | I send a message to a friend. |
| 同事 | tóngshì | coworker | 我给同事发了祝福。Wǒ gěi tóngshì fā le zhùfú. | Wǒ gěi tóngshì fā le zhùfú. | I sent holiday wishes to my coworker. |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | 老师祝我们节日快乐。Lǎoshī zhù wǒmen jiérì kuàilè. | Lǎoshī zhù wǒmen jiérì kuàilè. | The teacher wished us happy holidays. |
| 孩子 | háizi | child / kid | 孩子们很期待圣诞节。Háizimen hěn qīdài Shèngdànjié. | Háizimen hěn qīdài Shèngdànjié. | The children are really looking forward to Christmas. |
| 老人 | lǎorén | elderly person / old person | 我们去看望老人。Wǒmen qù kànwàng lǎorén. | Wǒmen qù kànwàng lǎorén. | We are going to visit the elderly. |
Holiday Actions And Warm Wishes
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 过节 | guòjié | to celebrate a holiday | 我们一起过节吧。Wǒmen yìqǐ guòjié ba. | Wǒmen yìqǐ guòjié ba. | Let’s celebrate the holiday together. |
| 庆祝 | qìngzhù | to celebrate | 大家一起庆祝圣诞节。Dàjiā yìqǐ qìngzhù Shèngdànjié. | Dàjiā yìqǐ qìngzhù Shèngdànjié. | Everyone celebrates Christmas together. |
| 团聚 | tuánjù | reunite / reunion | 节日是家人团聚的时候。Jiérì shì jiārén tuánjù de shíhou. | Jiérì shì jiārén tuánjù de shíhou. | Holidays are a time for family reunion. |
| 休息 | xiūxi | to rest | 假期我想好好休息。Jiàqī wǒ xiǎng hǎohǎo xiūxi. | Jiàqī wǒ xiǎng hǎohǎo xiūxi. | I want to rest well during the holiday. |
| 吃饭 | chīfàn | to eat / have a meal | 我们晚上一起吃饭。Wǒmen wǎnshang yìqǐ chīfàn. | Wǒmen wǎnshang yìqǐ chīfàn. | We will eat together tonight. |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet | 节日期间我们见面吧。Jiérì qījiān wǒmen jiànmiàn ba. | Jiérì qījiān wǒmen jiànmiàn ba. | Let’s meet during the holiday. |
| 消息 | xiāoxi | message | 我给你发个消息。Wǒ gěi nǐ fā ge xiāoxi. | Wǒ gěi nǐ fā ge xiāoxi. | I will send you a message. |
| 温暖 | wēnnuǎn | warm | 这是一句很温暖的话。Zhè shì yí jù hěn wēnnuǎn de huà. | Zhè shì yí jù hěn wēnnuǎn de huà. | This is a very warm sentence. |
| 平安 | píng’ān | safe / peaceful | 愿你平安顺利。Yuàn nǐ píng’ān shùnlì. | Yuàn nǐ píng’ān shùnlì. | May you be safe and things go smoothly. |
| 健康 | jiànkāng | healthy / health | 祝你健康快乐。Zhù nǐ jiànkāng kuàilè. | Zhù nǐ jiànkāng kuàilè. | Wish you health and happiness. |
| 保暖 | bǎonuǎn | keep warm | 天冷了，记得保暖。Tiān lěng le, jìde bǎonuǎn. | Tiān lěng le, jìde bǎonuǎn. | It is cold, remember to keep warm. |
| 热闹 | rènào | lively / festive | 商场里很热闹。Shāngchǎng lǐ hěn rènào. | Shāngchǎng lǐ hěn rènào. | The mall is very lively. |
Extra Handy Holiday Words
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 冬天 | dōngtiān | winter | 我喜欢冬天的节日气氛。Wǒ xǐhuan dōngtiān de jiérì qìfēn. | Wǒ xǐhuan dōngtiān de jiérì qìfēn. | I like the holiday feeling in winter. |
| 气氛 | qìfēn | atmosphere | 这里的圣诞气氛很好。Zhèlǐ de Shèngdàn qìfēn hěn hǎo. | Zhèlǐ de Shèngdàn qìfēn hěn hǎo. | The Christmas atmosphere here is great. |
| 灯 | dēng | light | 街上有很多圣诞灯。Jiē shang yǒu hěn duō Shèngdàn dēng. | Jiē shang yǒu hěn duō Shèngdàn dēng. | There are many Christmas lights on the street. |
| 星星 | xīngxing | star | 树顶上有一颗星星。Shù dǐng shang yǒu yì kē xīngxing. | Shù dǐng shang yǒu yì kē xīngxing. | There is a star on top of the tree. |
| 雪 | xuě | snow | 今年圣诞节下雪了吗？Jīnnián Shèngdànjié xià xuě le ma? | Jīnnián Shèngdànjié xià xuě le ma? | Did it snow this Christmas? |
| 蛋糕 | dàngāo | cake | 我们买了一个圣诞蛋糕。Wǒmen mǎi le yí ge Shèngdàn dàngāo. | Wǒmen mǎi le yí ge Shèngdàn dàngāo. | We bought a Christmas cake. |
| 饼干 | bǐnggān | cookie / biscuit | 孩子在做圣诞饼干。Háizi zài zuò Shèngdàn bǐnggān. | Háizi zài zuò Shèngdàn bǐnggān. | The child is making Christmas cookies. |
| 礼貌 | lǐmào | polite | 节日快乐很礼貌。Jiérì kuàilè hěn lǐmào. | Jiérì kuàilè hěn lǐmào. | “Happy Holidays” is very polite. |
| 正式 | zhèngshì | formal | 这句祝福比较正式。Zhè jù zhùfú bǐjiào zhèngshì. | Zhè jù zhùfú bǐjiào zhèngshì. | This greeting is more formal. |
| 随意 | suíyì | casual | 朋友之间可以说得更随意。Péngyou zhījiān kěyǐ shuō de gèng suíyì. | Péngyou zhījiān kěyǐ shuō de gèng suíyì. | You can speak more casually between friends. |
| 回复 | huífù | to reply | 我马上回复你的祝福。Wǒ mǎshàng huífù nǐ de zhùfú. | Wǒ mǎshàng huífù nǐ de zhùfú. | I will reply to your greeting right away. |
| 同乐 | tónglè | same to you | 你说圣诞快乐，我可以回同乐。Nǐ shuō Shèngdàn kuàilè, wǒ kěyǐ huí tónglè. | Nǐ shuō Shèngdàn kuàilè, wǒ kěyǐ huí tónglè. | If you say “Merry Christmas,” I can reply “same to you.” |
Polite And Casual Variants
| Phrase | Style | When To Use | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè | neutral | best all-purpose Merry Christmas | 圣诞快乐！Shèngdàn kuàilè! | Shèngdàn kuàilè! | Merry Christmas! |
| 圣诞节快乐 Shèngdànjié kuàilè | slightly fuller | cards, messages, warm greetings | 祝你圣诞节快乐。Zhù nǐ Shèngdànjié kuàilè. | Zhù nǐ Shèngdànjié kuàilè. | Wish you a Merry Christmas. |
| 节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè | polite and broad | Happy Holidays, safe for many situations | 祝您节日快乐。Zhù nín jiérì kuàilè. | Zhù nín jiérì kuàilè. | Happy holidays to you. |
| 假期愉快 Jiàqī yúkuài | practical | school, office, travel, year-end break | 祝你假期愉快。Zhù nǐ jiàqī yúkuài. | Zhù nǐ jiàqī yúkuài. | Enjoy your holiday break. |
| 同乐 Tónglè | short casual reply | replying to a greeting | A：圣诞快乐！Shèngdàn kuàilè! B：同乐！Tónglè! | A: Shèngdàn kuàilè! B: Tónglè! | A: Merry Christmas! B: Same to you! |
Yak Tip
If you only remember one phrase, make it 圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè. If you want the broader, safer version, use 节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè. That is the whole secret. Language learning loves pretending everything is complicated. It really is not.
Quick Reference Summary
- Merry Christmas = 圣诞快乐 Shèngdàn kuàilè
- Happy Christmas = 圣诞节快乐 Shèngdànjié kuàilè
- Happy Holidays = 节日快乐 Jiérì kuàilè
- Enjoy your holiday break = 假期愉快 Jiàqī yúkuài
- Happy Christmas Eve = 平安夜快乐 Píng’ān yè kuàilè
- Same to you = 同乐 Tónglè
One Message You Can Copy
祝你和家人圣诞快乐，节日快乐，新年快乐！Zhù nǐ hé jiārén Shèngdàn kuàilè, jiérì kuàilè, Xīnnián kuàilè! = Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and Happy New Year to you and your family!
