German · Greetings & Essentials

"Happy New Year!" in German: frohes neues Jahr!

frohes neues Jahr!

Say it: FRO-ess NOY-ess yarphrase/ˈfʁoːəs ˈnɔʏəs jaːɐ̯/

Happy New Year in German is frohes neues Jahr! Say it at midnight on Silvester and in early January messages. Keep the whole phrase.

Midnight

Frohes neues Jahr! Auf ein gutes Jahr!
Happy New Year! To a good year!
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How to pronounce frohes neues Jahr!

Say it

FRO-ess NOY-ess yar

/ˈfʁoːəs ˈnɔʏəs jaːɐ̯/

FRO-ess NOY-ess yar. Stress FRO and NOY.

"Happy New Year!" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
frohes neues Jahr!happy new year!

Default wish.

ein frohes neues Jahra happy new year

Card wording.

Frohes neues!happy new year! (short)

Casual short form.

Prost Neujahr!cheers to the new year

Toast variant.

How to use frohes neues Jahr! in real life

  1. 1Midnight

    Frohes neues Jahr! Auf ein gutes Jahr!

    Happy New Year! To a good year!

    Full phrase.

  2. 2Morning text

    Frohes neues Jahr! Hast du gut geschlafen?

    Happy New Year! Did you sleep well?

    January 1 message.

  3. 3Office return

    Frohes neues Jahr an alle im Team!

    Happy New Year to everyone on the team!

    Group wish.

Mistakes English speakers make with frohes neues Jahr!

Incorrect: Frohe neues Jahr!

Correct: Frohes neues Jahr!

Neuter agreement: frohes neues Jahr.

Incorrect: Happy New Year!

Correct: Frohes neues Jahr!

Keep the German headword phrase.

Good to know

Germans wish frohes neues Jahr! after midnight on Silvester and often again in the first workdays of January. Fireworks talk and Bleigießen belong to the night; the spoken wish stays this phrase.

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Midnight balcony toast

  1. ChatPal

    Drei, zwei, einsfrohes neues Jahr!

    Three, two, one — happy new year!

  2. You

    Frohes neues Jahr! Auf Gesundheit!

    Happy New Year! To health!

  3. ChatPal

    Noch einmal: frohes neues Jahr für uns beide.

    Once more: happy new year for both of us.

  4. You

    Frohes neues Jahrund weniger Stress.

    Happy New Year — and less stress.

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"Happy New Year!" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Happy New Year!" in German

How do you say happy new year?

Frohes neues Jahr!

Shorter?

Frohes neues!

When?

At midnight on Silvester and in early January.

Why frohes?

Jahr is neuter: frohes neues Jahr.

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