Merry Christmas in Lao
ສຸກສັນ ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ
Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat
Say it like this: sook SAHN wahn krit-sa-MAHT
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Lao, Merry Christmas is ສຸກສັນ ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ (Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat), said like sook SAHN wahn krit-sa-MAHT.
- Happy New Year is ສະບາຍດີປີໃໝ່ (Sabaidee pi mai).
- People say it in Laos, Thailand, United States, France.
What Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat means
'Suk san' (joy, happiness) + 'wan' (day) + 'khrit-sa-maat' (Christmas, borrowed from English). Together it means happy Christmas Day.
Lao is written in its own rounded script, which is closely related to the Thai script, and words are written without spaces between them.
Other ways to say it in Lao
ສຸກສັນ ຄຣິດສະມາດ
Suk san khrit-sa-maat
Say it like this: sook SAHN krit-sa-MAHT
A shorter form that leaves out the word for day.
Happy New Year
ສະບາຍດີປີໃໝ່
Sabaidee pi mai
Say it like this: sah-bye-DEE pee MY
hello and well-being, new year
To write in a Christmas card
ສຸກສັນ ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ ພ້ອມ ປີໃໝ່
Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat phom pi mai
Say it like this: sook SAHN wahn krit-sa-MAHT pawm pee MY
Where people speak Lao
LaosThailandUnited StatesFrance
Lao (ພາສາລາວ) belongs to the Kra-Dai (Tai) language family.
Say it with Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train to more than 100 places and teaches kids how to say Merry Christmas at every stop. Practice Lao today, then follow his trip.
Follow Rally on Christmas Eve →Christmas traditions where people speak Lao
- Lights in Vientiane and Luang Prabang: Laos is mostly Buddhist, so Christmas is not a traditional holiday. Even so, Vientiane and Luang Prabang put up lights, ornaments and sometimes a tree, and hotels and restaurants may play carols.[2]
- Church services: Lao Christians are a small minority. They hold Christmas services in churches and sometimes in pastors' homes, and they may invite local officials to join.[3]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Lao
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- Thaiสุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส
- Georgianშობას გილოცავთ
- KazakhРождество құтты болсын
- ArmenianՇնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ
- Punjabiਕ੍ਰਿਸਮਸ ਦੀਆਂ ਸ਼ੁਭਕਾਮਨਾਵਾਂ
- Khmerរីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យណូអែល
- MongolianЗул сарын мэнд хүргэе
- Marathiनाताळच्या शुभेच्छा
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Lao?
You can say "ສຸກສັນ ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ" (Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat). Suk san means joy or happiness, and wan means day. This is the most common way to wish someone a happy Christmas in Lao, and it works on a class card or in a message to a friend.[1]
How do you pronounce "Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat"?
Say it like this: sook SAHN wahn krit-sa-MAHT. The capital letters show the part to stress. Lao is a tonal language, so the pitch of each syllable matters, and a native speaker recording is the best guide. Say the three syllables of khrit-sa-maat evenly.
What does "Suk san wan khrit-sa-maat" mean?
It means happy Christmas Day. Suk san is a word for joy or happiness, wan means day, and khrit-sa-maat is the Lao way of saying Christmas. The word suk san is also used for other greetings, such as happy birthday.[1]
How do you write Merry Christmas in Lao?
In Lao script it is ສຸກສັນ ວັນຄຣິດສະມາດ. Lao is usually written without spaces between words, so a space often marks the end of a phrase. In English letters you may see Suk san wan Khrit-sa-maat, and spellings vary.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Lao?
Happy New Year is "ສະບາຍດີປີໃໝ່" (Sabaidee pi mai), said like sah-bye-DEE pee MY. It means hello and well-being, new year. Lao New Year, called Pi Mai, is celebrated in mid April, so this phrase is also a safe choice if you do not know whether the person celebrates Christmas.[1]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say Merry Christmas in Lao?
The plain phrase suk san wan khrit-sa-maat is fine with classmates, friends and elders alike. Lao speakers show extra respect through their tone, a small bow with palms together called a nop, and by greeting elders first. A shorter form without the word wan, suk san khrit-sa-maat, is also heard.[1]
When do people say Merry Christmas in Lao?
People say it on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at church, at family meals, and in messages and cards. Because Christmas is not a traditional Lao holiday, it is mainly used among Christians and friends who celebrate.[1][2]
Is the main Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for Lao speakers?
Christmas Day, December 25, is the main day for Lao Christians, who attend services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It is not a public holiday, so many people celebrate quietly with family or at church.[2][3]
What is a Christmas custom in Laos?
Lao Christians hold Christmas services in churches or in pastors' homes. In cities such as Vientiane and Luang Prabang, hotels and public places put up lights and ornaments, and carols may play in hotels and restaurants. Most Lao are Buddhist, so Christmas is mostly a small, quiet celebration.[2][3]
How can I teach Lao Christmas words to kids?
Teach suk san first, since it is a friendly word for joy, then add wan and khrit-sa-maat. Clap the three beats of khrit-sa-maat. Children can draw a string of lights like those in Vientiane and write the greeting beneath, then ask a Lao speaker to record it so they can copy the real sound.
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.
- Lao Christmas wishes, Preply
- Christmas in Laos, Expat Exchange
- Lao Christians celebrate the Christmas holiday under state scrutiny, Radio Free Asia
