Merry Christmas in Nepali
क्रिसमसको शुभकामना
Krismasko shubhakamana
Say it like this: KRIS-mas-ko shoo-bhah-KAH-mah-nah
Big letters show the part to say louder.
Quick answer
- In Nepali, Merry Christmas is क्रिसमसको शुभकामना (Krismasko shubhakamana), said like KRIS-mas-ko shoo-bhah-KAH-mah-nah.
- Happy New Year is नयाँ वर्षको शुभकामना (Naya barshako shubhakamana).
- People say it in Nepal, India (Sikkim and Darjeeling), Bhutan.
What Krismasko shubhakamana means
'Krismas' is Christmas, '-ko' means 'of', and 'shubhakamana' means good wishes.
Nepali is written in the Devanagari script, the same script used for Hindi, with a line along the top of the letters.
Other ways to say it in Nepali
मेरी क्रिसमस
Meri Krismas
Say it like this: MEH-ree KRIS-mas
'Merry Christmas' borrowed from English, used casually and on cards.
Happy New Year
नयाँ वर्षको शुभकामना
Naya barshako shubhakamana
Say it like this: NAH-yah BAR-shah-ko shoo-bhah-KAH-mah-nah
Good wishes for the new year.
Where people speak Nepali
NepalIndia (Sikkim and Darjeeling)Bhutan
Nepali (नेपाली) belongs to the Indo-European (Indo-Aryan) language family.
Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Kathmandu at about 12:00 AM local time, and kids learn to say क्रिसमसको शुभकामना as he lands.
Watch Rally arrive in Kathmandu →Christmas traditions where people speak Nepali
- Lights in Kathmandu: Streets in Kathmandu glow with lights, stars and decorations, especially in Thamel, Durbar Marg and New Road. Cafes and shops play Christmas music, even though Kathmandu has no snow.[3]
- Church and family: Nepali Christians attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning for prayers and hymns. Families and friends then gather for meals, sweets and small gifts, and often invite neighbors of other faiths.[2][3]
- Working together: In Kathmandu, Christian and Hindu volunteers have worked together to decorate the Cathedral of the Assumption, and the parish has taught young people carols.[4]
🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Nepali
Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.
Say Merry Christmas in more languages
- Bengaliশুভ বড়দিন
- Sinhalaසුබ නත්තලක් වේවා
- Urduکرسمس مبارک
- Tagalog (Filipino)Maligayang Pasko
- KazakhРождество құтты болсын
- Thaiสุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส
- CebuanoMalipayong Pasko
- Malayalamക്രിസ്തുമസ് ആശംസകൾ
Questions parents ask
How do you say Merry Christmas in Nepali?
Say क्रिसमसको शुभकामना, 'Krismasko shubhakamana', meaning 'good wishes for Christmas'. Nepalis also say 'Merry Christmas' in English, written in Devanagari as मेरी क्रिसमस. Both are friendly, and the shubhakamana version is the more polite one for cards and for elders.[1]
How do you pronounce Krismasko shubhakamana?
Say 'KRIS-mas-ko shoo-bhah-KAH-mah-nah'. The 'bh' in 'shubha' is a breathy b, and the vowels are clear: a as in father, u as in rule. Stress falls on the first syllable of 'Krismas' and on 'KAH' in 'kamana'. Say it slowly in five beats first.[1]
What does shubhakamana mean?
'Shubha' means auspicious or good, and 'kamana' means wish, so 'shubhakamana' means good wishes. The ending '-ko' means 'of'. 'Krismasko shubhakamana' therefore means 'good wishes of Christmas', a greeting you can also use with other festivals by changing the first word.[1]
How do you write and spell it in Nepali?
Nepali is written in the Devanagari script, left to right, with a line along the top of the letters: क्रिसमसको शुभकामना. The same script is used for Hindi. In English letters people usually write 'Krismasko shubhakamana', though spellings vary because there is no single standard.[1]
How do you say Happy New Year in Nepali?
Say नयाँ वर्षको शुभकामना, 'Naya barshako shubhakamana', pronounced 'NAH-yah BAR-shah-ko shoo-bhah-KAH-mah-nah'. 'Naya' means new and 'barsha' means year. Nepal's own official new year, Bikram Sambat New Year, falls in mid-April, but this phrase is used for January 1 too.[1]
Is there a formal and a casual way to say it?
The 'shubhakamana' greeting is polite and suits teachers, elders and written cards. Among friends, young people often just say 'Merry Christmas' in English or मेरी क्रिसमस. In speech to elders, Nepali adds respectful verb forms, but a simple written greeting needs no changes.[1]
When do people say it in Nepal?
Around December 25, which is a public holiday in Nepal. Christians are a small minority in a country that is mostly Hindu and Buddhist, but the season has become a friendly, shared festival with lights, cafes and hotels in cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, and many non-Christians join in.[2][3][5]
Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christian communities attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning for prayers, hymns and messages of peace. Families and friends then gather for meals. December 25 is the public holiday. Some hotels also serve special Christmas Eve dinners.[2][3]
What are Christmas customs in Nepal?
Kathmandu streets and cafes are decorated with lights and stars, and families share meals and sweets. Christians attend church for prayers and hymns, and neighbours of other faiths often join the fun. In Kathmandu, Christian and Hindu volunteers have worked together to decorate a church.[2][3][4]
How can I teach Krismasko shubhakamana to kids?
Teach it in two parts: 'Krismas' is easy because it sounds like Christmas, then 'shubhakamana' in four beats: shu-bha-ka-ma-na. Show how the Devanagari line on top connects the letters. Children can paint a star, as Kathmandu streets are full of stars, and say the greeting as they hang it.[1][3]
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.
- Useful Nepali phrases, Omniglot
- Living in Nepal: Christmas in Nepal, ExpatExchange
- The People of Kathmandu and Their Warm Embrace of Christmas, Hotel Shanker
- Nepal: Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims prepare for Christmas together, AsiaNews
- Today is December 25: Christmas Day being celebrated, public holiday across the country, Kantipur
