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How to Say ‘Merry Christmas to you too!’ in German

Ihnen auch frohe Weihnachten!

EE-nen owkh FROH-eh VY-nakh-ten

[EE-nen owkh FROH-eh VY-nakh-ten]

🇩🇪 In Germany: A polite way to answer a neighbour's Christmas greeting. Germans also greet with Frohe Weihnachten on 24–26 December, not just on Christmas Day.

Phrase Breakdown

Ihnen auch

EE-nen owkh

to you too

Formal 'you' (dative) plus 'too'. 'Ihnen' sounds like 'EE-nen'; 'auch' ends with a soft throaty 'ch'.

Example

Danke, Ihnen auch!

Thanks, to you too!

Words in this phrase

Ihnen

[EE-nen]

you (formal, dative)

The formal 'you' in the dative case, used in polite professional situations.

Example

Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage zur Kultur im Unternehmen stellen?

May I ask you a question about the culture in the company?

auch

[owkh]

also / too

Used to say also or too when returning a wish or adding something.

Example

Auch nach dem Karriereevent sollten wir in Kontakt bleiben.

We should stay in touch after the career event too.

frohe Weihnachten!

FROH-eh VY-nakh-ten

Merry Christmas!

The standard Christmas greeting. Stress 'WEIH' in 'Weihnachten'. The 'ch' is throaty, like in Scottish 'loch'.

Example

Frohe Weihnachten, Oma!

Merry Christmas, Grandma!

Words in this phrase

frohe

[FROH-eh]

merry, happy

Inflected form of 'froh' (happy, glad), used in festive wishes.

Example

Frohe Ostern!

Happy Easter!

Weihnachten

[VY-nakh-ten]

Christmas

The Christmas holiday.

Example

Zu Weihnachten besuchen wir die Familie.

At Christmas we visit the family.

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