Merry Christmas in Cantonese
聖誕快樂
Sing daan faai lok
Say it like this: sing dahn fie lawk
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Cantonese, Merry Christmas is 聖誕快樂 (Sing daan faai lok), said like sing dahn fie lawk.
- Happy New Year is 新年快樂 (San nin faai lok).
- People say it in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong (China), Overseas Chinese communities.
What Sing daan faai lok means
聖 (sing) means holy, 誕 (daan) means birth, and 快樂 (faai lok) means happy. So the phrase is 'holy birth, happy'. In Jyutping it is sing3 daan3 faai3 lok6.
Cantonese is written with traditional Chinese characters in Hong Kong and Macau. Romanization systems such as Jyutping and Yale show how the characters sound.
Other ways to say it in Cantonese
Happy New Year
新年快樂
San nin faai lok
Say it like this: sahn neen fie lawk
Happy New Year
To write in a Christmas card
聖誕快樂，新年快樂
Sing daan faai lok, san nin faai lok
Say it like this: sing dahn fie lawk, sahn neen fie lawk
Where people speak Cantonese
Hong KongMacauGuangdong (China)Overseas Chinese communities
Cantonese (廣東話) belongs to the Sino-Tibetan (Sinitic) language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Hong Kong at about 12:21 AM local time, and kids learn to say 聖誕快樂 as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Hong Kong →Christmas traditions where people speak Cantonese
- A giant tree in Statue Square: In Hong Kong, a big Christmas tree stands in Statue Square in Central. Many people start the season in early December with Christmas parties, dinners and gift exchanges.[3]
- Christmas Eve night out: Christmas Eve night is the high point of the season in Hong Kong. Crowds gather to see the lights in busy areas such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay and Lan Kwai Fong, while churches hold Midnight Mass.[3]
- School Christmas parties: Hong Kong schools usually hold their Christmas parties around December 20 or 21. The Christmas holidays then continue until New Year's Day, and families use the break to meet friends and relatives.[3]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Cantonese
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- Mandarin Chinese圣诞快乐
- Nepaliक्रिसमसको शुभकामना
- ArmenianՇնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ
- Dari (Afghan Persian)کریسمس مبارک
- Urduکرسمس مبارک
- Hindiमेरी क्रिसमस
- Laoສຸກສັນ ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ
- Burmeseပျော်ရွှင်ဖွယ်ရာ ခရစ္စမတ်ပွဲတော် ဖြစ်ပါစေ
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Cantonese?
The most common way is 聖誕快樂, said "Sing daan faai lok" (sing dahn fie lawk). It is used in Hong Kong, Macau and Cantonese-speaking communities around the world. The Jyutping spelling is sing3 daan3 faai3 lok6. Many people in Hong Kong also say Merry Christmas in English.[1][4]
How do you pronounce Sing daan faai lok?
Say "sing dahn fie lawk". The aa in daan is a long ah. The ai in faai sounds like the word eye, as in fie. The final k in lok is a quick, unreleased stop. Cantonese has tones, so listen to a native speaker and copy their pitch.[1]
What does Sing daan faai lok mean?
聖 (sing) means holy, 誕 (daan) means birth, and 快樂 (faai lok) means happy. Together, 聖誕 means holy birth, the Chinese name for Christmas. The phrase means Happy Christmas, a warm wish used by Christians and non-Christians who enjoy the festive season in Hong Kong.[1]
How do you write Merry Christmas in Cantonese?
Write 聖誕快樂 in traditional characters, with no spaces. Hong Kong uses traditional characters, unlike mainland China, which uses simplified ones (圣诞快乐). To show the sound, use Jyutping (sing3 daan3 faai3 lok6) or Yale (Sing daan faai lok), where the numbers or marks show the tones.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Cantonese?
Say 新年快樂 (San nin faai lok, sahn neen fie lawk). Hong Kong families also celebrate Lunar New Year, in late January or February, when people say 恭喜發財 (Gung hei faat choi), a wish for prosperity. For January 1, 新年快樂 is the usual greeting, and the English Happy New Year is also common.[2]
Is there a formal way to say Merry Christmas in Cantonese?
聖誕快樂 is friendly for everyone. For a more polite card, you can write 祝你聖誕快樂 (I wish you a Merry Christmas), using a respectful tone with teachers and elders. With friends and children, the short greeting is best. English Merry Christmas is also common.[1][4]
When do people say Merry Christmas in Hong Kong?
People say it throughout December, especially on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Many citizens start parties, dinners and gift exchanges in early December. Schools usually hold their Christmas parties around December 20 or 21 and then enjoy holidays until New Year's Day.[3]
Is Christmas Eve or Christmas Day the main celebration in Hong Kong?
Christmas Eve night is the high point of the festive atmosphere. Crowds gather in Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay and Lan Kwai Fong to see the lights, and churches hold Midnight Mass. Christmas Day itself is a public holiday, so many families use it for a relaxed meal, a visit to church or time with relatives.[3]
What is a popular Christmas tradition in Hong Kong?
Seeing the Christmas lights and decorations is a big tradition. A large tree stands in Statue Square, and trees and nativity scenes decorate public spaces, churches and homes. Families and friends also enjoy Christmas dinners, parties and gift swaps in December.[3][4]
How can I teach kids to say Sing daan faai lok?
Teach it in four steady beats: sing, daan, faai, lok. Compare faai to the English word fie. Draw the Statue Square tree and add the characters 聖誕快樂. Kids can try the English version too, since both are common in Hong Kong.[4]
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor by Leslie Dunn. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on AmazonSources
We check every greeting against dictionaries, language institutes and cultural sources.
- merry Christmas (translations), Wiktionary
- happy New Year (translations), Wiktionary
- Observance of Christmas by country, Wikipedia
- Christmas in Hong Kong, WhyChristmas.com
