How Do You Say “Have a Happy New Year” in Japanese?

To wish somebody to have a Happy New year and to wish somebody a Happy New Year are different in Japanese.

You can wish somebody have a Happy New Year, but you canNOT wish everybody a Happy New Year.

“Have a Happy New Year” is said

良いお年を

yoi (as in yoy like in boy) or you can say yo like in yo-yo and ee- like in eek! real fast.  oh toe she oh

Altogether – yoh ee oh toe she oh.

yoi is good. o is honorific, toshi is year and the last o makes the preceding word the object of the wish.

The greeting can be said to everyone the last time you see them before the turn of the year.

If you have a Japanese friend, tell them – Yoi o toshi o. They’ll be happy

However, “Happy New Year” cannot be said to all of your Japanese friends when you greet them first thing in the new year.

I’ll explain why in my next post.