Celebrate in different languages

Celebrate in Different Languages

Discover 'Celebrate' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'celebrate' holds a special place in our hearts as it represents joy, pride, and togetherness. It is a universal term that transcends languages and cultures, bringing people together to honor and appreciate various milestones, achievements, and events. From birthdays and weddings to national holidays and cultural festivals, celebrations are an integral part of our lives.

Did you know that the ancient Romans held 'celebrations' to honor their gods and goddesses? These multi-day feasts, known as 'Saturnalia' and 'Lupercalia,' were filled with merriment, gift-giving, and role-reversals. Today, we continue this rich tradition of celebration by honoring our own beliefs, customs, and traditions.

Understanding the translation of 'celebrate' in different languages can enrich our cultural experiences and strengthen our connections with others. Here are a few examples:

  • Spanish: celebrar
  • French: célébrer
  • German: feiern
  • Mandarin: 庆祝 (qìng zhù)
  • Japanese: 祝う (iwau)

Celebrate


Celebrate in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaansvier
In German, the word "vier" refers to the number four.
Amharicአክብሩ
The word comes from the word 'አክባር', meaning 'glorify' in Arabic.
Hausayi biki
The Hausa word "yi biki" also means "to hold a feast" and is related to the word "biki" which means "festival".
Igboeme ememe
"Eme ememe" is a Nigerian Igbo word that means "ceremony" or "celebration" and is derived from the Igbo word "eme" meaning "to do".
Malagasymankalaza
The Malagasy word "mankalaza" is derived from the Arabic word "manqala" and originally referred to a type of board game.
Nyanja (Chichewa)kondwerera
"Kondwerera" can also mean "to amuse oneself" or "to be happy" in Nyanja.
Shonafara
"Fara" can also mean "to enjoy" or "to have fun".
Somalidabbaaldeg
Dabbaaldeg derives from the Arabic word "dabbal" meaning "to beat the skin of a drum".
Sesothoketeka
Keteka can also refer to the act of shouting or making loud noises.
Swahilikusherehekea
The word "kusherehekea" in Swahili also means "to rejoice," or "to be glad."
Xhosabhiyozela
The word "bhiyozela" is derived from the root word "bhiyoza", meaning "to dance".
Yorubaayeye
'Ayeye' originates from 'a yeye' meaning 'mother is great' and has been used since the days of the Oyo empire.
Zulugubha
"Gubha" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-*gub(h)-a," meaning "to hide" or "to conceal."
Bambaraɲɛnajɛ
Eweɖu azã
Kinyarwandakwizihiza
Lingalakosala feti
Lugandaokujagaana
Sepediketeka
Twi (Akan)di

Celebrate in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicاحتفل
"احتفل" is the Arabic word for "to celebrate", but also has the alternate meaning "to make oneself happy".
Hebrewלַחֲגוֹג
The word "לחגוג" is derived from the root "חג" meaning "holiday".
Pashtoلمانځل
The Pashto word "لمانځل" (celebrate) is derived from the Persian "جشن" (festival), which is ultimately of Arabic origin.
Arabicاحتفل
"احتفل" is the Arabic word for "to celebrate", but also has the alternate meaning "to make oneself happy".

Celebrate in Western European Languages

Albanianfestoj
The word "festoj" is derived from the Latin word "festus", meaning "holiday" or "festival".
Basqueospatu
The Basque word "ospatu" also means "wait".
Catalancelebrar
In Catalan, "celebrar" also means to "officiate" or to "hold a religious ceremony".
Croatianslaviti
The verb 'slaviti' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'slava', meaning 'glory' or 'praise'
Danishfejre
In Danish, "fejre" also means to "sweep" or "clean".
Dutchvieren
The Dutch word "vieren" originates from the Latin word "feriae", meaning "feast" or "holiday".
Englishcelebrate
The word "celebrate" derives from Latin "celebrare," meaning "to frequent or resort to," from "celeber," meaning "much frequented," from "cellere," meaning "to urge on," from "celare," meaning "to drive, put into motion."
Frenchcélébrer
In French, the term "célébrer" also refers to holding a religious ceremony or solemnizing a marriage.
Frisianfiere
The word "fiere" is cognate to the Dutch word "vieren" and the German word "feiern", all ultimately derived from the Proto-West Germanic verb *fijōn ('to rejoice').
Galiciancelebrar
In Galician, "celebrar" can also mean "to officiate" or "to confer a sacrament".
Germanfeiern
The verb 'feiern' in German also means to honor, commemorate, or keep a holiday.
Icelandicfagna
In Icelandic, "fagna" can also mean to "rejoice" or "exult".
Irishceiliúradh
Italiancelebrare
"Celebrare" in Italian comes from the Latin "celebrare," meaning "to perform a religious rite," and retains this meaning in the modern language.
Luxembourgishfeieren
Feieren in Luxembourgish can also mean 'to slack off' in addition to 'to celebrate'.
Maltesetiċċelebra
The Maltese word "tiċċelebra" comes from Latin via Italian "celebrare" and shares its root with "celebrity".
Norwegianfeire
In Norwegian, 'feire' can also mean 'to wander about aimlessly'
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)comemoro
The Portuguese verb "comemoro" originally meant "to warn" or "to remind" in Latin.
Scots Gaeliccomharrachadh
The Scots Gaelic word "comharrachadh" also means "communing" or "taking part in holy communion."
Spanishcelebrar
In its original Latin form ('celebrare'), 'celebrar' meant 'to frequent' and could apply to any activity or place, especially religious rites and public assemblies.
Swedishfira
The Swedish word for "celebrate", "fira", has Germanic roots and is related to the words "feier" and "feest" in German and Dutch respectively, with connotations of "joy", "feasting" and "commemoration".
Welshdathlu
The Welsh word 'dathlu' is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *dal-, meaning 'to distribute'.

Celebrate in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianсвяткаваць
"Святкаваць" originally meant "to sanctify" due to its connection with "свят" ("saint") but took on the meaning of "to celebrate" from Polish "swiętować"
Bosnianslaviti
Slavljenje u srpskohrvatskom ima značenje koje je slično originalnom slavljenju, ali i u značenju koje se odnosi na proslavljanje svetkovine, tj. crkvenih praznika.
Bulgarianпразнувам
The Bulgarian verb "празнувам" derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "праздн" meaning "free from work"}
Czechslavit
"Slavit" originates from "sláva", meaning "glory" or "fame".
Estoniantähistama
The verb _tähistama_ is not only used for _celebrations_, but also for marking something with a sign.
Finnishjuhlia
'juhlia' is a Finnish word that shares the same etymology as 'Christmas' and 'Easter' and used to be used to refer to religious feasts.
Hungarianünnepel
"ünnep" (holiday) is related to the Proto-Indo-European root *swen-, meaning "to sound, to make merry".
Latviansvinēt
The Latvian word "svinēt" is derived from the Old Prussian word "swintin", meaning "to be holy".
Lithuanianšvesti
The Lithuanian word "švesti" can also mean “to light” and "to glow".
Macedonianслави
The word "слави" derives from the Proto-Slavic "*slaviti", meaning "to glorify" or "to praise", and is cognate with the English word "slaves."
Polishświętować
In Polish, "świętować" comes from "święto" meaning "holiday" and denotes commemorating a notable event.
Romaniansărbători
The Romanian word "sărbători" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *svętъ, meaning both "holiday" and "sacred".
Russianпраздновать
"праздновать" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "празднъ", meaning "empty" or "idle", and originally referred to the cessation of work on religious holidays.
Serbianпрославити
The word "прославити" (celebrate) in Serbian can also mean "to glorify" or "to make famous".
Slovakoslavovať
The word "oslavovať" also means "to glorify" in Slovak.
Slovenianpraznovati
The word "praznovati" in Slovenian is derived from the Old Slavic word "prazdnъ", which means "empty" or "idle". The word originally referred to the period of time after a major holiday when people would take a break from work and other activities to rest and relax.
Ukrainianсвяткувати
The word "святкувати" originates from the Proto-Slavic *svętъ, meaning "holy", and is related to the words "святой" ("saint") and "праздник" ("holiday").

Celebrate in South Asian Languages

Bengaliউদযাপন
The word "udyaapan" derives from the Sanskrit word "udyaapaka" meaning "a completion" or "a conclusion".
Gujaratiઉજવણી
ઉજવણી (celebrate) comes from the Sanskrit word "ujjval" meaning "to shine" or "to brighten up."
Hindiजश्न
In Hindi, 'जश्न' (celebrate) derives from the Arabic 'jašš' (banquet) and also means 'decoration' or 'illumination'.
Kannadaಆಚರಿಸಿ
"ಆಚರಿಸಿ" comes from the root word "ಆಚಾರ" which means "custom", suggesting that celebrations are rooted in cultural practices.
Malayalamആഘോഷിക്കാൻ
The word "ആഘോഷിക്കാൻ" "(celebrate)" in Malayalam is also used to express "commemorate", "remember", and "mark" an event or anniversary.
Marathiसाजरा करणे
The word 'साजरा करणे' ('celebrate') in Marathi originates from the Sanskrit word 'सज्ज' ('to adorn'), indicating the act of beautifying or enhancing an occasion.
Nepaliमनाउनु
"मनाउनु" is related to the Sanskrit word "man" meaning "to think, remember".
Punjabiਮਨਾਓ
The Punjabi word "ਮਨਾਓ" ("celebrate") originates from the Sanskrit word "मनन" which means "to think or reflect".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)සමරන්න
Meaning "to observe", "to keep" or "to perform", සමරන්න may be related to the Sanskrit word "smar" meaning "to remember" or "to memorize".
Tamilகொண்டாடு
The word “கொண்டாடு” (“celebrate”) in Tamil is derived from the Sanskrit word “कुण्डली” (“kundali”), meaning “coiled up” or “spiral”.
Teluguజరుపుకోండి
"జరుపుకోండి" is derived from the Sanskrit word "jar", meaning "to grow old", and "pu", meaning "to purify". It can also mean "to observe" or "to perform".
Urduمنانا
The Urdu word "منانا" (celebrate) originates from the Sanskrit word "मनन" (to think, meditate), implying both remembrance and rejoicing.

Celebrate in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)庆祝
“庆祝”本义是“杀牲祭神”,后引申指人们为喜庆的日子举行活动。
Chinese (Traditional)慶祝
The word "慶祝" is derived from the Chinese characters "慶," meaning "auspicious" and "祝," meaning "to pray", indicating a combination of reverence and celebration.
Japanese祝う
祝う (iwau), meaning "to celebrate" or "to congratulate" in Japanese, also contains the "saku" (裂く) element found in 裂帛 (sakuhaku, "to tear cloth"), suggesting the association between celebration and the act of "tearing apart" something valuable to share.
Korean세상에 알리다
The Korean word "세상에 알리다" (celebrate) literally means "to inform the world" or "to make known to the world."
Mongolianтэмдэглэх
The word "тэмдэглэх" in Mongolian can also refer to "marking" or "observing" an event.
Myanmar (Burmese)ဆင်နွှဲ
The word "ဆင်နွှဲ" is used in Myanmar (Burmese) specifically to refer to the celebration of festivals, ceremonies, and special occasions, while its literal translation 'elephant festival' implies grandiosity and splendor.

Celebrate in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianmerayakan
"Merayakan" can also mean "to have a birthday" or "to hold a ceremony or ritual."
Javanesengrameke
"Ngrameke" is also used to describe a form of art that involves dancing and singing.
Khmerអបអរ
អបអរ derives from the Sanskrit word 'uparma', meaning 'to go away' or 'to leave off'.
Laoສະເຫຼີມສະຫຼອງ
Malayraikan
The word "raikan" in Malay also means "to commemorate", "to honor", or "to mark an occasion".
Thaiฉลอง
"ฉลอง" (celebrate) also means "to decorate a building or a place with flags, streamers, etc."
Vietnameseăn mừng
Ăn mừng literally means "eat joyful food" in Vietnamese, a custom that originated from ancient rice crop festivals.
Filipino (Tagalog)magdiwang

Celebrate in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijaniqeyd etmək
"Qeyd etmək" in Azerbaijani shares its etymology with the Persian word "qayd", meaning "rule" or "regulation.
Kazakhмерекелеу
The word "мерекелеу" in Kazakh means to celebrate, but it can also mean to have fun or to be happy.
Kyrgyzмайрамдоо
"Mayramdoo" in Kyrgyz has an alternate meaning of "to make merry".
Tajikҷашн гиред
The word "ҷашн гиред" (celebrate) in Tajik derives from the Persian word "jashn" (festival) and the Tajik verb "гиред" (to take, to hold).
Turkmenbellemek
Uzbeknishonlamoq
The word "nishonlamoq" is based on the verb "belgilamoq" which means to make something become a sign, to indicate or to mark something.
Uyghurتەبرىكلەڭ

Celebrate in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianhoʻolauleʻa
The Hawaiian word “hoʻolauleʻa,” meaning “to celebrate,” can also refer to a lively gathering with food, music, and hula.
Maoriwhakanui
The word “whakanui” is derived from the Maori words “whaka” (to make) and “nui” (big). It can also mean “to magnify” or “to honor”.
Samoanfaʻamanatu
"Faʻamanatu" shares its origin with "manatu," meaning "remember" or "keep in mind."
Tagalog (Filipino)ipagdiwang
The word "ipagdiwang" originally comes from the Tagalog word "pagdiriwang", which means "feast" or "celebration", and the prefix "i-", which indicates the causative form, making the full meaning "to cause to feast" or "to celebrate".

Celebrate in American Indigenous Languages

Aymaraamtaña
Guaraniguerovy'a

Celebrate in International Languages

Esperantofesti
The Esperanto word "festi" comes from the Latin word "festus", meaning "festive" or "joyful."
Latincelebramus
The Latin word "celebramus" means "to frequent" and is related to an Indo-European root that also produced "celebrate" in English.

Celebrate in Others Languages

Greekγιορτάζω
Γιορτάζω derives from the Ancient Greek word
Hmongnoj peb caug
The term "noj peb caug" translates literally to "to gather together" in Hmong.
Kurdishkêfkirin
Kêfkirin in Kurdish is also used for having fun and enjoying company, similarly to the English word 'revel'.
Turkishkutlamak
The word "kutlamak" in Turkish can also mean "to bring good luck" or "to wish someone well on a special occasion".
Xhosabhiyozela
The word "bhiyozela" is derived from the root word "bhiyoza", meaning "to dance".
Yiddishפייַערן
The word "פייַערן" in Yiddish, meaning "to celebrate", comes from the German word "feiern", which also means "to celebrate". It can also mean "to give a holiday or vacation".
Zulugubha
"Gubha" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-*gub(h)-a," meaning "to hide" or "to conceal."
Assameseউদযাপন
Aymaraamtaña
Bhojpuriजश्न मनावल
Dhivehiފާހަގަކުރުން
Dogriसमारोह् मनाना
Filipino (Tagalog)magdiwang
Guaraniguerovy'a
Ilocanorambakan
Kriosɛlibret
Kurdish (Sorani)ئاهەنگ گێڕان
Maithiliउत्सव माननाइ
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯅꯨꯡꯉꯥꯏꯕ ꯐꯣꯡꯗꯣꯛꯄ
Mizolawm
Oromoayyaaneffachuu
Odia (Oriya)ଉତ୍ସବ ପାଳନ କର |
Quechuaraymiy
Sanskritकीर्तयति
Tatarбәйрәм итегез
Tigrinyaምኽባር
Tsongatlangela

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