How to Say Happy New Year in 40 Languages

Akranes graveyard, Photo: Atli Hararson. Feature photo: Eustaquio Santimano

According to Ethnologue, a world currently has 6,909 vital languages. Heres how to instruct someone a happy brand brand new year in 40 of them.

A-ELanguageSpellingPronunciation Afrikaans Gelukkige Nuwejaar gha-likkikga-neeva-yaarr (gh is a throat scraping gutreral sound)AlbanianGzuar Vitin e Rigu-zoo-ar vi-tin e riArabic sana saeedahAzerbaijaniYeni iliniz mbark ye-ni i-li-niz myu-ba-rack Bahasa melayuSelamat tahun baruselamat tahun baruBasqueUrte berri onerr-te berr-rri onBosniansretna nova godinasr-et-na no-va go-din-a Bulgarian sh-tast-liva No-va go-din-aCatalanFeli any noufe-LEES A-nee n-OuCebuano (Philippines)Mabungahong Bag-ong Tuig kaninyong tananma-boon-ga-hong bag-ong too-eeg kan-een-yong tan-anCzech astn nov rokSHTU-stnee NO-vee rrr-okDutchFijne oudejaarsavondfei-nee ow-de-yaarr-sa-vontEstonianHead uut aastathed oot ah-staht

Tbilisi, Photo: Vladimer Shioshvili

F-LLanguageSpellingPronunciationFarsi sale nou mobarakFilipinoManigong Bagong Taonmah-nee-gong bag-gong ta-onFrenchBonne Annebon a-nayGaelic (Scotland)Bliadhna mhath urbleenah vahth oohrGermanFrohes Neues Jahr / Gutes Neues Jahrfrohes neuyis yar / gutes neu-yis yarGreek kali chronyaGujarati saal mubarak (happy year)Hebrew shana tovaHindi nayye saal ki haardik shubh-kaam-nayenHungarianBoldog j vet / Bukbawl-dawg-uuy-aevet / boo-ayk Irish Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit / Bhliain nua ssta awh-tvleen fwee mm-hay-sheh gutchItalianBuon anno / Felice anno nuovoboo-on ah-nno / fae-lee-chae ah-nno noo-o-voJapaneseakemashite omedeto gozaimasu Korean seh heh bok mahn ee bahd euh sae yo

Singapore, Photo: Eustaquio Santimano

M-ZLanguageSpellingPronunciationMalteseIs Sena it -Tajbaiz sena it taybahMandarin Chinesexn nin kui l MaoriKia hari te tau houkia hari tay tau ho Polish Szczliwego Nowego Roku shch-eng-shlee-vego novego roku Portuguese Feliz Ano Novo feh-liz an-oh noh-voh Quechua Allin wata kachun qanpaq (singular) / Allin wata kachun qanqunapaq (plural) all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-pak / all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-koon-a-pak Romanian La Muli Ani laa mooltsi ani Russian s novim godom Spanish Feliz Ao Nuevo feh-liz an-yoh n-way-vo Thai aa-wat-dii pi-mai Turkish Mutlu yllar (happy year) / Yeni ylnz kutlu olsun (May your brand brand new year be celebrated) moot-loo yill-lar / yen-ee yill-uh-niz coot-loo ohl-son Urdu nayya saal mubarak Welsh blwyddyn newydd dda BLOOdhin NEHwidh dha

Community Connection

Do we know how to contend Happy New Year in any alternative languages? Share in a comment section below to get us closer to representing a worlds 6,000+ languages!

For more to get we in a New Years spirit, check out New Years Eve Fireworks Around a World or Brave New Travelers 100 New Years Resolutions for 2011.


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