How to Say Merry Christmas in Vietnamese

Asia

Nov 3

Written by Kelsey Cecil

Merry Christmas in Vietnamese

Giáng sinh vui vẻ

Say it like this: zahng sing voo-ee veh

Big letters show the part to say louder.

Quick answer

In Vietnamese, Merry Christmas is Giáng sinh vui vẻ, said like zahng sing voo-ee veh.
Happy New Year is Chúc mừng năm mới.
People say it in Vietnam.

What Giáng sinh vui vẻ means

'Giáng sinh' (the birth sent down) is Christmas, and 'vui vẻ' means cheerful or merry.

Vietnamese is written with the Latin alphabet plus marks above and below the vowels that show the tone, so the marks matter.

Other ways to say it in Vietnamese

Chúc mừng Giáng sinh

Say it like this: chook mung zahng sing

'Congratulations on Christmas', a very common wording on cards and from shops.

Giáng sinh an lành

Say it like this: zahng sing ahn lahn

'Peaceful Christmas', a gentle, widely used wish.

Happy New Year

Chúc mừng năm mới

Say it like this: chook mung nahm muh-ee

Congratulations on the new year.

Where people speak Vietnamese

Vietnam

Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) belongs to the Austroasiatic language family.

Hear it from Rally on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Rally the corgi rides the Christmas Train around the world. He reaches Ho Chi Minh City at about 12:17 AM local time, then visits Hanoi, and kids learn to say Giáng sinh vui vẻ as he lands.

Watch Rally arrive in Ho Chi Minh City →

Christmas traditions where people speak Vietnamese

Christmas Eve crowds: In Ho Chi Minh City, crowds gather on Christmas Eve near Notre-Dame Cathedral. People take photos, throw confetti and admire the lights, and cafes and restaurants stay open late.^[1][3]
Nativity scenes: Catholic churches build nativity scenes, some with near life-size statues. In some parishes, families build big crib scenes outside their homes and decorate the whole street.^[1]
The log cake: Because of French influence, some families have a Christmas Eve meal called a réveillon and eat bûche de Noël, a chocolate cake shaped like a log. The cake is also a popular gift.^[1][4]

🎄 Quick game: Merry Christmas in Vietnamese

Three quick questions for kids. Tap an answer to play.

Say Merry Christmas in more languages

See all 103 languages →

Questions parents ask

How do you say Merry Christmas in Vietnamese?

The most direct way is 'Giáng sinh vui vẻ', which matches the English 'Merry Christmas'. People also say 'Chúc mừng Giáng sinh' (congratulations on Christmas) and 'Giáng sinh an lành' (a peaceful Christmas). All three are friendly and correct, so choose whichever you find easiest to say.^[1][2]

How do you pronounce Giáng sinh vui vẻ?

Say 'zahng sing voo-ee veh'. In the north 'gi' sounds like a 'z', and in the south more like a 'y'. Vietnamese has tones: 'Giáng' rises, 'vẻ' dips and rises gently. Even without perfect tones, people will understand a clear, friendly attempt, and they usually enjoy hearing visitors try.^[2]

What does Giáng sinh mean?

'Giáng sinh' is the Vietnamese word for Christmas. Its parts come from Chinese-based vocabulary and suggest a birth coming down from above. 'Vui vẻ' means cheerful or merry. Together, 'Giáng sinh vui vẻ' simply wishes someone a merry Christmas.^[2]

How do you write and spell it?

Vietnamese uses the Latin alphabet with marks that show tone: Giáng sinh vui vẻ. The marks are part of the spelling, so keep them in cards and lessons. 'Giáng' has an acute accent (á) and 'vẻ' has a hook above the e. On a keyboard, a Vietnamese input setting makes this easy.^[2]

How do you say Happy New Year in Vietnamese?

Say 'Chúc mừng năm mới', which means congratulations on the new year. Say it as 'chook mung nahm muh-ee'. Vietnamese people often follow it with wishes for health and good luck. The big New Year in Vietnam is Tết in late January or February, but this phrase is used on January 1 too.

Is there a formal and a casual version?

'Chúc mừng Giáng sinh' sounds a little more formal, which suits cards, shops and messages to teachers or elders. 'Giáng sinh vui vẻ' and 'Giáng sinh an lành' feel warm and relaxed among friends and family. Adding 'nhé' at the end makes any of them friendlier.^[2]

When do people say it in Vietnam?

People say it on and around December 24 and 25, mostly on Christmas Eve. Christmas is not an official public holiday in Vietnam, and Christians are a small part of the population, but many people of all backgrounds enjoy the lights, decorations and city celebrations, so the greeting is heard widely.^[1]

Is the main celebration Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Christmas Eve, December 24, is the big night. Churches hold Midnight Mass with nativity plays and music, and young people crowd city centers to see decorations. Christmas Day itself is quieter, and it is a normal working day for many people because Christmas is not an official holiday.^[1][3]

What is a Vietnamese Christmas tradition?

Many Catholic churches display nativity scenes, and in some parishes families build large crib scenes outside their homes. In the big cities, people gather on Christmas Eve to see the lights, take photos and throw confetti. Some share a bûche de Noël, a log-shaped chocolate cake.^[1]

How can I teach this to kids?

Teach 'Giáng sinh vui vẻ' in three beats: giáng, sinh, vui vẻ. Let children hold a hand up for the rising tone on 'giáng' and lower it for 'vẻ'. Then add Ông già Noel, the Vietnamese name for Santa Claus, for a fun second phrase.^[1][2]

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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 Amazon (opens in a new tab)