We Wish You a Merry Christmas in Chinese (我们祝你圣诞快乐): Pinyin and Meaning

About the song

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” is a traditional English Christmas carol often associated with the west of England. Its exact early history is unclear, but it has become a familiar Christmas song in many countries.

Many children already know the tune, which gives them a helpful starting point when learning the Chinese words. The repeated greetings also give beginners plenty of chances to listen, join in and practise useful phrases.

The Chinese lyrics

我们祝你圣诞快乐，我们祝你圣诞快乐，
Wǒmen zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, wǒmen zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè,
We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas,

我们祝你圣诞快乐，祝你新年快乐。
Wǒmen zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

把好消息带给你，带给你和你的家人，
Bǎ hǎo xiāoxi dài gěi nǐ, dài gěi nǐ hé nǐ de jiārén,
We bring good news to you, to you and your family,

祝你圣诞快乐，祝你新年快乐。
Zhù nǐ Shèngdàn kuàilè, zhù nǐ xīnnián kuàilè.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year

Key words and a sentence pattern

These are the key words in the song.

Both expressions are used to wish someone a Merry Christmas. 圣诞快乐 is a common, concise greeting.

The wish pattern: 祝你 + a happy occasion

The song teaches a useful pattern: 祝你 (zhù nǐ), meaning “wish you”, followed by a greeting. Children can reuse it for birthdays, New Year and other celebrations. Adding 我们 turns it into “we wish you”, as in the song’s title.

For more birthday wishes and songs, see Happy Birthday in Chinese.

A second pattern: 把 … 带给 …

The closing lines use a pattern for “bring something to someone”: 把 + the thing + 带给 + the person. Beginners do not need an explanation of 把 grammar. Let them learn the pattern through the song and a few examples.

Six ways to use the song

1. Start with the greeting

Say 圣诞快乐 to your child for a few days, at breakfast or in a message, before you sing. When you sing the song, the main phrase already sounds familiar.

2. Echo-sing

Many children already know the tune, so hum it first and then add the Chinese words one line at a time. You sing a line and your child repeats it, then swap roles.

3. Make wish cards

Children draw a Christmas picture and add 圣诞快乐 or 新年快乐 for grandparents or friends. Younger children can trace or colour the characters, and older children can practise writing 快乐, paying attention to the shape and order of the strokes.

4. Play the wish game

Use the 祝你 + occasion pattern. Let your child draw a card showing an occasion, such as a birthday, New Year or a holiday, then say the matching greeting aloud: 祝你生日快乐, 祝你新年快乐, 祝你节日快乐.

5. Send a sung greeting

Record a short video of your child singing, or sing together on a video call, and send it to a grandparent or friend far away. It gives the song a real reason to be learned.

6. Share some good news

Ask your child to share one happy thing, such as playing with a friend, getting a gift or learning a new Chinese phrase. Then practise saying 我有一个好消息！(Wǒ yǒu yí ge hǎo xiāoxi!), which means “I have some good news!” It helps the song carry over into everyday Chinese.

Frequently asked questions

More Christmas learning

• Jingle Bells in Chinese: another Christmas song to learn in Chinese.
• 12 Merry Christmas Wishes and Messages in Chinese: greetings you can use in cards and messages.
• Christmas Chinese Vocabulary Montessori 3-Part Flashcards: flashcards for Christmas words.
• Build Your Own Christmas Chinese Learning Activity Worksheets
• It’s Snowing: A Chinese Nursery Rhyme for Winter: a short rhyme for the winter months.

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