Key Facts
- Hangul: 크리스마스; Revised Romanization: keuriseumaseu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral loanword; Christmas is a public holiday in Korea, and the formal Sino-Korean name is 성탄절.
Christmas in Korean: What Does 크리스마스 Mean?
크리스마스 is a neutral loanword. Christmas is a public holiday in Korea. A formal Sino-Korean alternative exists: 성탄절.
How Do You Pronounce 크리스마스?
Count the beats: keu-ri-seu-ma-seu. The ㅡ vowel is a flat, unrounded sound, and it appears in the first, third and last syllables.
Example Sentences with 크리스마스
크리스마스에 뭐 해요?
keuriseumaseue mwo haeyo?
What are you doing on Christmas?
뭐 해요 asks what are you doing. The time particle 에 attaches to the day, like "on" in English.
크리스마스 트리를 만들었어요.
keuriseumaseu teurireul mandeureosseoyo.
I made a Christmas tree.
트리 is the borrowed word for tree. 만들었어요 is the past of making.
메리 크리스마스!
meri keuriseumaseu!
Merry Christmas!
메리 is the greeting word borrowed from English, and the exclamation mark makes it a greeting.
How the Examples Work
Two of the three examples show how a loanword behaves like any other noun. In the question, 에 attaches directly to 크리스마스 to mean on Christmas. In the greeting, the word stays unchanged after 메리. The collocation 크리스마스이브 is joined without a space, unlike 크리스마스 선물 and 크리스마스 트리, where the space is written.
Phrases Built on 크리스마스
Gift, tree and the eve form the standard trio.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 크리스마스 선물 | Christmas gift |
| 크리스마스 트리 | Christmas tree |
| 크리스마스이브 | Christmas Eve |
The Mistake to Avoid
English "Christmas" has two syllables, and learners squeeze the Korean word down to match.
Wrong: "kris-mas", dropping the ㅡ vowels
Correct: [keu-ri-seu-ma-seu], five full syllables
크리스마스 Compared with Similar Words
성탄절 is the formal Sino-Korean word for Christmas. 연말 means year-end, the broader season around it.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 성탄절 | Christmas | Christmas (formal, Sino-Korean) |
| 연말 | year-end | year-end |
Where Does 크리스마스 Come From?
크리스마스 is a loanword, so there is no hanja.
Cultural Note
In Korea Christmas is a public holiday, and couples often spend it together.
Planning a Christmas Meeting
Two coworkers are choosing a day to meet. They need to distinguish Christmas Day from Christmas Eve.
Jisu
크리스마스에 시간 있어요?
Keuriseumaseue sigan isseoyo?
Are you free on Christmas?
Alex
크리스마스에는 가족을 만나요.
Keuriseumaseueneun gajogeul mannayo.
On Christmas, I am meeting my family.
Jisu
그럼 크리스마스이브는 어때요?
Geureom keuriseumaseuibeuneun eottaeyo?
Then how about Christmas Eve?
Alex
좋아요. 같이 저녁 먹어요.
Joayo. Gachi jeonyeok meogeoyo.
Sounds good. Let’s have dinner together.
시간 있어요? literally asks whether someone has time. Here it asks about availability for a plan. The second line adds 는 after 에, making Christmas Day the date being singled out before the alternative date is suggested.
크리스마스이브 is December 24; 크리스마스 refers to December 25. The final line agrees to dinner on the proposed alternative. 같이 저녁 먹어요 is an invitation in this setting, even though its polite present form could describe eating together in a different conversation.
Which Christmas Greeting Fits the Situation?
메리 크리스마스 is the familiar borrowed greeting used on cards, in messages and face to face. It is a fixed wish, so it does not need a verb meaning “to be merry.” 메리 is part of the greeting rather than a general Korean adjective you can place before any holiday name.
즐거운 크리스마스 보내세요 means “Have a happy Christmas.” Literally, it asks someone to spend a happy Christmas. 보내세요 uses the polite ending, which makes the whole greeting useful for a coworker, neighbor or acquaintance. The request form expresses a good wish rather than an instruction about their schedule.
크리스마스 잘 보내셨어요? means “Did you have a good Christmas?” It belongs after the holiday. The past ending changes the purpose from wishing someone well to asking how the holiday went. A message sent before the holiday needs a wish rather than this past-tense question.
Where Will You See 크리스마스 and 성탄절?
크리스마스 appears on shop displays, cake advertisements, cards and invitations. 크리스마스 케이크 names a cake for the occasion, while 크리스마스 선물 names a gift. These combinations identify what the item is for; the word 크리스마스 does not describe its ingredients or price.
성탄절 is more likely in formal holiday wording and religious settings. The two names refer to the same day. 성탄절 is not a shortened spelling of the English loanword, and you do not need to replace 크리스마스 when speaking politely to an older person.
In personal conversation, a question about 크리스마스 can lead to family, friends, a date or work plans. The word itself does not tell you whether the person celebrates it religiously. Ask about their plans without assuming one particular kind of celebration.
연말 covers the end-of-year period more broadly. A 연말 모임 is a year-end gathering; its date does not have to be Christmas Day. This distinction helps when reading invitations that arrive in December: a seasonal event and a named holiday are different scheduling information.
Words for Cards and Invitations
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 선물 | gift | Used in 크리스마스 선물 and other gift occasions. |
| 카드 | card | The physical or digital card carrying a greeting. |
| 장식 | decoration | Useful for describing trees, rooms and shop displays. |
| 약속 | appointment / plans to meet | Refers to an arrangement with someone. |
| 연말 | year-end | Covers a broader period than Christmas Day. |
The culture and holidays vocabulary lesson places 크리스마스 beside other calendar occasions. When arranging a meeting, confirm the date as well as the event name so Christmas Eve and Christmas Day stay distinct.
Quick Self-Test
- Which date does 크리스마스이브 name?
- Is 성탄절 a shortened spelling of 크리스마스?
- Which greeting asks about a holiday that has already happened?
Show answers
- December 24.
- No. It is the Sino-Korean name for the same holiday.
- 크리스마스 잘 보내셨어요?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Christmas in Korean?
Say 크리스마스 (keuriseumaseu).
What is the formal word?
성탄절 is the formal Sino-Korean word.
How do you say Merry Christmas?
Say 메리 크리스마스!
How do you say Christmas tree?
Say 크리스마스 트리.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Culture and holidays words places 크리스마스 among its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.