Signification
A greeting used to wish someone a happy Christmas.
Contexte culturel
The main celebration happens on the evening of December 24th (Bescherung). This is when 'Frohe Weihnachten' is most intensely exchanged. In Austria, the 'Christkind' brings the gifts, not Santa. The greeting remains the same, but the imagery associated with it is different. In Swiss German, you might hear 'Schöni Wiehnachte', which is the dialect version of the phrase.
The 'Ihnen auch' rule
If someone wishes you 'Frohe Weihnachten', always reply with 'Danke, Ihnen auch!' (formal) or 'Danke, dir auch!' (informal).
Timing is everything
Don't say it in November. Germans generally wait until the first Advent or mid-December to start holiday greetings.
Signification
A greeting used to wish someone a happy Christmas.
The 'Ihnen auch' rule
If someone wishes you 'Frohe Weihnachten', always reply with 'Danke, Ihnen auch!' (formal) or 'Danke, dir auch!' (informal).
Timing is everything
Don't say it in November. Germans generally wait until the first Advent or mid-December to start holiday greetings.
Teste-toi
Complete the standard Christmas greeting.
_______ Weihnachten!
The adjective needs the '-e' ending for the plural noun 'Weihnachten'.
Match the German greeting to its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are the standard holiday equivalents.
Which greeting is most appropriate for a formal business email?
You are writing to a client you don't know well.
Including the full sentence 'Ich wünsche Ihnen...' adds the necessary formality.
How do you respond when someone says 'Frohe Weihnachten' to you?
Person A: 'Frohe Weihnachten!' Person B: 'Danke, _______!'
All are correct, but 'gleichfalls' (likewise) is a very common and efficient response.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
German Holiday Greetings
Christmas
- • Frohe Weihnachten
- • Frohes Fest
New Year
- • Guten Rutsch
- • Frohes Neues
Banque d exercices
4 exercices_______ Weihnachten!
The adjective needs the '-e' ending for the plural noun 'Weihnachten'.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard holiday equivalents.
You are writing to a client you don't know well.
Including the full sentence 'Ich wünsche Ihnen...' adds the necessary formality.
Person A: 'Frohe Weihnachten!' Person B: 'Danke, _______!'
All are correct, but 'gleichfalls' (likewise) is a very common and efficient response.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
3 questionsGrammatically, it is treated as a plural noun without an article in this greeting, which is why 'froh' becomes 'frohe'.
It's better to say 'Schöne Feiertage' (Happy Holidays) or 'Alles Gute zum Chanukka'.
'Frohe' is more common and neutral. 'Fröhliche' is more cheerful and often found in songs like 'O du fröhliche'.
Expressions liées
Fröhliche Weihnachten
similarJolly/Merry Christmas
Ein gutes neues Jahr
builds onA good new year
Schöne Feiertage
synonymHappy holidays
