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Questions & Answers about Feliz Natal, mãe!
Why does the adjective Feliz come before the noun Natal?
In Portuguese, adjectives usually come after the noun. However, for set greetings and special wishes like Feliz Natal or Feliz aniversário (Happy birthday), the adjective comes first, just like in English.
Does Feliz change depending on whether the word is masculine or feminine?
No, adjectives ending in -z like feliz have the exact same form for masculine and feminine nouns. Natal is a masculine word, but feliz stays exactly the same as it would for a feminine word.
Shouldn't there be a word like minha (my) before mãe?
Not in this sentence, because you are speaking directly to her. When calling out to or addressing family members directly, you just use the word on its own. If you were talking about her to someone else, you would say a minha mãe (my mum).
How do you pronounce the ãe in mãe?
It is a nasal sound. Start by making an 'ah' sound through your nose, and smoothly glide into an 'ee' sound. It sounds a bit like the English word 'mine' but without actually touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth for the 'n'.