How to Say Merry Christmas in Dutch

Merry Christmas. Felize Navidad. Feliz Natal. Greeting someone during the holiday season is a sign of goodwill and peace, so why not send them holiday wishes in their native tongue? For everyone who wants to spread the festive word to those living in the Netherlands, share in the holiday spirit by learning how to say "Merry Christmas" in Dutch.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. To write "Merry Christmas" in Dutch, copy the following: Vrolijk Kerstfeest. To say it, let's break down the two words and examine how to pronounce each syllable.

2. Pronounce the "Vro" in Vrolijk like "vrho", with the rh sound coming as a roll from the back of your throat. To practice making that sound, open your mouth and gargle to make your uvula (the little ball that hands down from the back of your throat) vibrate and flap. When you have that sensation down, pull your tongue back so that the tip is touching the bottom of your mouth. This will make the noise sound flatter and like it is originating in the back of your throat.

3. Practice saying "-lijk" like you would say Luke. In Dutch, the letter "j" is pronounced like a "y" in most words

4. Put the two syllables together: vrho-luke.

   You have just learned the first part of the phrase!

5. Try the second word now, starting with the first syllable: Kerst. This sounds like how you would say "cursed" in an Irish accent, with the "er" sounding more like "air": K-air-st.

6. Say the "ee" in "feest " as an "ay." The second syllable of the word then becomes "fay-st". You can now put the two sounds together to create the second word of the phrase: "K-air-st-fay-st"

7. Put the two words together and say them phonetically: vrho-luke-k-air-st-fay-st.

8. Say Merry Christmas in Dutch: Vroklijk Kerstfeest!