German Phrase
Wir feiern Neujahr im Januar.
Meaning
The sentence states that the speakers celebrate New Year's Day during the month of January. In German, the holiday itself is called 'Neujahr' and the phrase emphasizes the time frame rather than a specific date.
When to use
Use this sentence when describing your family's or a group's tradition of marking the New Year in January, especially if you want to contrast it with celebrations that happen on December 31st or in other months.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WirfeiernNeujahrimJanuar.
Wir (personal pronoun)
First‑person plural pronoun meaning 'we'. It determines the verb ending in the present tense.
feiern (verb)
Present tense, regular verb meaning 'to celebrate'. Conjugates as 'feiere, feierst, feiert, feiern, feiert, feiern'.
Neujahr (noun)
Neuter noun meaning 'New Year'. Used without an article when referring to the holiday in a general sense.
im = in dem (preposition + article)
The contraction 'im' combines the preposition 'in' with the dative masculine/neuter article 'dem', indicating a time period.
Januar (proper noun)
Month name; months are capitalised in German and take the dative case after 'im'.
🗨In Conversation
Wann feiert ihr Neujahr?
When do you celebrate New Year?
Wir feiern Neujahr im Januar.
We celebrate New Year's in January.
✕Common Mistakes
Wir feiern Neujahr in den Januar.
Do not use the accusative 'in den Januar' here; the phrase requires dative after 'in' (im = in dem).
Wir feiern das Neujahr im Januar.
Avoid adding an article before 'Neujahr' unless you mean a specific New Year's event (e.g., 'das Neujahr').
Wir zu feiern Neujahr im Januar.
Do not use the infinitive 'feiern' after the subject; you need the conjugated form 'feiern' for 'wir'.
↔Alternatives
Wir feiern den Jahreswechsel im Januar.
We celebrate the turn of the year in January.
Unser Neujahrsfest findet im Januar statt.
Our New Year's celebration takes place in January.
Wir begrüßen das neue Jahr im Januar.
We welcome the new year in January.
Cultural Tip
In Germany, the official New Year's Day (Neujahr) is on January 1st, but many people also hold parties on New Year's Eve (Silvester) on December 31st. Some families, especially in regions with strong Catholic traditions, may postpone the main celebration to the first weekend of January, which is why you might hear 'Wir feiern Neujahr im Januar.' Remember that 'Neujahr' is always capitalised, and months are not preceded by a definite article when used with 'im'.