A1 Phrases
Germans don’t wish you a happy New Year once; they do it twice. Before midnight, it’s Guten Rutsch! After midnight, it’s Frohes neues Jahr! Mix them up and people will still smile, but get them right and you’ll sound like you’ve celebrated Silvester (New Year’s Eve) in Germany for years. Here’s how to say happy New Year in German, what the famous Guten Rutsch really means, what everyone shouts at midnight, and ready-to-send New Year messages for friends, family and colleagues.
Quick answer
The standard way to say Happy New Year in German is Frohes neues Jahr! (FROH-es NOY-es yahr), used from midnight on 31 December until about mid-January. Before New Year, Germans say Guten Rutsch! (“Have a good slide into the new year”). At midnight itself, people shout Prost Neujahr! or Frohes Neues! and clink glasses.
This phrase is part of our guide to German phrases and greetings. If you’re also sending Christmas wishes, see Merry Christmas in German.
Frohes Neues Jahr
Frohes neues Jahr! means “Happy new year!” Word by word: froh (happy, glad), neu (new), das Jahr (year). Because Jahr is neuter, the adjectives take the -es ending.
You can say it at midnight, on New Year’s Day and when you see someone for the first time in January, at work, in a shop or at the gym. After about the second week of January, it starts to sound a little late.
Common variations:
| German | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Frohes neues Jahr! | Happy new year! | neutral, everyone |
| Frohes Neues! | Happy New (Year)! | casual, very common |
| Gutes neues Jahr! | Good new year! | neutral, common in the south and Austria |
| Gesundes neues Jahr! | Healthy new year! | warm, popular in eastern Germany |
| Ein glückliches neues Jahr! | A happy new year! | slightly formal, cards |
| Prost Neujahr! | Cheers to the new year! | at midnight, with a drink |
Formality meter: casual Frohes Neues! → neutral Frohes neues Jahr! → warm Ein gesundes neues Jahr! → formal Wir wünschen Ihnen ein erfolgreiches neues Jahr. All are polite; pick by how well you know the person.
Guten Rutsch (and Why)
Guten Rutsch! or, in full, Einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! is what you say in the days before New Year, typically from about Christmas until the evening of 31 December. Literally, it means “a good slide into the new year”.
Why a slide? There are two popular explanations:
- The everyday one: rutschen means “to slide” or “to glide”, and in older German it also meant “to travel”. Wishing someone a good Rutsch is wishing them a smooth passage into the new year.
- The Yiddish one: some linguists link Rutsch to Rosch, from the Hebrew Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), via a Yiddish greeting for a good start of the year. It’s a much-repeated theory, but dictionaries like the DWDS treat the origin as uncertain.
Either way, the meaning today is clear: “Have a good New Year’s Eve and a good start to the year.” It’s often combined with Christmas wishes:
Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch!Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Ich wünsche dir einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!I wish you a happy New Year! (said before New Year)
Don’t say “Guten Rutsch” after midnight
Once the new year has started, the “slide” is over. From 1 January, switch to Frohes neues Jahr. Saying Guten Rutsch on 2 January sounds like wishing someone “Merry Christmas” on 27 December.
What to Say at Midnight
New Year’s Eve in Germany is called Silvester, after Pope Sylvester I, whose feast day is 31 December. Here’s what you’ll hear as the clock strikes twelve:
- The countdown: Zehn, neun, acht, sieben, sechs, fünf, vier, drei, zwei, eins! (Need a refresher? See German numbers.)
- At midnight: Prost Neujahr!, Frohes Neues! or simply Prost! with a glass of Sekt (German sparkling wine).
- Hugs and wishes: Alles Gute im neuen Jahr! (All the best in the new year!)
A few Silvester traditions you might be invited to join:
- Feuerwerk (fireworks): private fireworks are allowed on New Year’s Eve in Germany, so streets get loud and bright at midnight.
- Dinner for One: a short British comedy sketch shown on German TV every 31 December. Nearly everyone knows the line “The same procedure as every year.”
- Wachsgießen: melting wax (formerly lead, Bleigießen) and reading the future from its shape.
- Glücksbringer (lucky charms): small marzipan pigs, chimney sweeps and four-leaf clovers given as gifts.
- Berliner or Krapfen: jam doughnuts, sometimes with one filled with mustard as a prank.
„Drei, zwei, eins … Frohes neues Jahr!“ – „Prost Neujahr!““Three, two, one… Happy New Year!” – “Cheers to the new year!”
Austria and Switzerland
In Austria, people say Prosit Neujahr! and Ein gutes neues Jahr!, and many dance to the Blue Danube waltz right after midnight. In Switzerland, you’ll hear Swiss German Es guets Neus! (A good new one!). Read more about Austrian expressions in what language is spoken in Austria.
New Year Messages
Use these for texts, cards and emails. Replace dir (informal you) with Ihnen (formal you) for colleagues and people you call Sie.
| Message | English | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Frohes neues Jahr! Alles Liebe! | Happy new year! Love, | family, close friends |
| Ich wünsche dir ein gesundes und glückliches neues Jahr! | I wish you a healthy and happy new year! | friends |
| Alles Gute für 2027! | All the best for 2027! | anyone |
| Viel Glück, Gesundheit und Erfolg im neuen Jahr! | Lots of luck, health and success in the new year! | friends, colleagues |
| Auf ein tolles neues Jahr! | Here’s to a great new year! | casual, social media |
| Wir wünschen Ihnen ein erfolgreiches neues Jahr. | We wish you a successful new year. | business, formal |
| Vielen Dank für die gute Zusammenarbeit und alles Gute für das neue Jahr! | Thank you for the good cooperation and all the best for the new year! | colleagues, clients |
How to Respond
When someone wishes you a happy new year, keep it short and return the wish:
| Reply | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Danke, dir auch! | Thanks, you too! | informal |
| Danke, Ihnen auch! | Thank you, you too! | formal |
| Gleichfalls! | Likewise! | neutral |
| Dir auch einen guten Rutsch! | Happy New Year to you too! (before NY) | informal |
| Ebenso, frohes Neues! | Same to you, happy New Year! | casual |
„Einen guten Rutsch, Frau Weber!“ – „Danke, Ihnen auch!““Happy New Year, Ms Weber!” – “Thank you, you too!”
„Frohes Neues, Lukas!“ – „Gleichfalls! Hattest du eine schöne Silvesterparty?““Happy New Year, Lukas!” – “Likewise! Did you have a nice New Year’s Eve party?”
For more ways to say thanks, read Danke schön, Dankeschön or Danke sehr?.
Rituals make phrases stick
We remember words best when they’re tied to emotion and ritual. That’s why seasonal phrases like Guten Rutsch are easy to learn: they come with a moment, a feeling and a fixed time. Send a German New Year message to one person this year, and the phrase will stay with you much longer.
FAQs
How do you say Happy New Year in German?
Frohes neues Jahr! Before New Year, say Guten Rutsch! (Have a good slide into the new year).
What does Guten Rutsch mean?
Literally “good slide”. It wishes someone a smooth transition into the new year and is used before 1 January.
When do you stop saying Frohes neues Jahr?
Usually around mid-January, once you’ve seen most people for the first time in the year.
What do Germans say at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
Prost Neujahr! or Frohes Neues!, usually while clinking glasses of Sekt and watching fireworks.
What is New Year’s Eve called in German?
Silvester. New Year’s Day is Neujahr or der Neujahrstag.
Conclusion
In German, New Year comes with two greetings: Guten Rutsch! before midnight and Frohes neues Jahr! after it. At midnight itself, raise a glass with Prost Neujahr!, and in cards or emails choose from warm wishes like Ein gesundes neues Jahr! Answer any of them with Danke, dir auch! or Gleichfalls! Next, add more celebration vocabulary with Christmas words in German.
Sources and further reading: DWDS: Rutsch, DWDS: Silvester and Duden.
Keep learning → German greetings: how to say hello, goodbye and more
