Celebration in Different Languages
Discover 'Celebration' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'celebration' is a vibrant tapestry of joy that transcends language and culture, embodying the spirit of festivity and communal happiness across the globe. Its significance lies not just in the marking of personal milestones or communal achievements but in its power to unite people, foster traditions, and create unforgettable memories. Knowing the translation of 'celebration' in different languages can be a fascinating journey into understanding how various cultures interpret and express joy and festivity. Interesting facts and historical contexts surrounding celebrations can enlighten us on how these joyous occasions have evolved over time and their universal appeal. For instance, the word for 'celebration' in Spanish is 'celebración', while in French, it is 'célébration', each adding its linguistic charm to the essence of celebration. As we explore the celebration in different languages, we unravel the beautiful mosaic of global festivity and cultural richness.
Celebration
Celebration in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | viering | ||
| "Viering" in Afrikaans also means "quarter", as in a quarter of an hour. | |||
| Amharic | ክብረ በዓል | ||
| In addition to "celebration," the Amharic word "ክብረ በዓል" can also carry the meaning of "honour," "glory," or "magnificence." | |||
| Hausa | bikin | ||
| The Hausa word "bikin" is derived from the Arabic word "biki" meaning "to appear" or "to make an appearance". | |||
| Igbo | ememe | ||
| The word "ememe" can also mean "festival" or "feast" in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fankalazana | ||
| The Malagasy word "fankalazana" ("celebration") derives from the root "kalaza" ("to scatter"), referencing the custom of throwing rice or water to mark special occasions. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | chikondwerero | ||
| The word 'chikondwerero' derives from the verb 'kukondwera', meaning 'to be happy or joyous'. It is also used to refer to a special occasion or event that is celebrated with joy and festivity. | |||
| Shona | kupemberera | ||
| "Kupfuura" (to pass), "kupemberera" (to celebrate) are cognate terms in Shona, both implying a progression from one state to another. | |||
| Somali | dabbaaldeg | ||
| Dabbaaldeg is also used to refer to a specific type of Somali celebration involving traditional dance, music, and food. | |||
| Sesotho | mokete | ||
| The word "mokete" can also refer to a type of traditional dance performed at celebrations. | |||
| Swahili | sherehe | ||
| "Sherehe" also refers to a large, informal party in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubhiyozela | ||
| Ukubhiyozela can also refer to the act of worshipping, or paying respect to ancestors. | |||
| Yoruba | ajoyo | ||
| In Yoruba, the word 'ajoyo' also means 'a place of jubilation' or 'rejoicing'. | |||
| Zulu | umgubho | ||
| In the Zulu language, 'umgubho' also denotes a gathering where people participate in traditional rituals and share stories. | |||
| Bambara | seli kɛli | ||
| Ewe | azãɖuɖu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | kwizihiza | ||
| Lingala | fɛti ya kosala fɛti | ||
| Luganda | okujaguza | ||
| Sepedi | mokete wa go keteka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | afahyɛ a wɔde di dwuma | ||
Celebration in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | احتفال | ||
| احتفال derives from the Semitic root ḥ-f-l, meaning “to assemble, to gather,” and it signifies a sacred gathering or assembly. | |||
| Hebrew | חֲגִיגָה | ||
| The root word is חג, meaning 'holiday', and -יג is a suffix indicating a group or collective. | |||
| Pashto | لمانځنه | ||
| The Pashto word "لمانځنه" (ləmanəna) is derived from the verb "لمانځل" (ləmanə̀l), meaning "to celebrate" or "to perform a ritual." | |||
| Arabic | احتفال | ||
| احتفال derives from the Semitic root ḥ-f-l, meaning “to assemble, to gather,” and it signifies a sacred gathering or assembly. | |||
Celebration in Western European Languages
| Albanian | festim | ||
| The word 'festim' is also used to refer to a specific type of Albanian folk dance. | |||
| Basque | ospakizuna | ||
| The Basque word "ospakizuna" can also refer to a particular type of Basque celebration known as a "romeria," where people go on a pilgrimage to a religious shrine or a special place. | |||
| Catalan | celebració | ||
| Catalan "celebració" from Latin "celebrare" (announce), akin to "clarity" and "celebrity" | |||
| Croatian | proslava | ||
| The word "Proslava" in Croatian is derived from the Slavic root "slav-", meaning "glory" or "praise", and shares this etymology with other Slavic languages, such as Russian and Polish. | |||
| Danish | fest | ||
| The word "fest" in Danish can also refer to a physical structure, such as a castle or a fortress. | |||
| Dutch | viering | ||
| The word 'vieren' is derived from the Old Dutch 'vīren,' meaning 'to travel,' or 'to make a pilgrimage' | |||
| English | celebration | ||
| The Latin root "celeber" means "frequented, crowded," and "celebrated" originally meant "performed with great ceremony." | |||
| French | fête | ||
| The word "fête" in French is derived from the Latin "festum" and originally meant a religious holiday. | |||
| Frisian | feest | ||
| In German, “Fest” means “fortress,” while in Dutch, “feest” means “party,” so the word “feest” in Frisian has connotations of both safety and joviality. | |||
| Galician | celebración | ||
| In Galician, "celebración" not only refers to a party or special occasion, but also to a religious ceremony or event. | |||
| German | feier | ||
| The German word "Feier" (originally "fire") also carries the connotation of pausing and taking a break from regular work to acknowledge an occasion. | |||
| Icelandic | hátíð | ||
| Icelandic "hátíð" is derived from Old Norse "hátíð", meaning both "celebration" and "high time (holiday)". | |||
| Irish | ceiliúradh | ||
| The Irish word "ceiliúradh" originates from the Latin word "celebrare," meaning "to make famous," and traditionally involved the playing of music and the recitation of poetry. | |||
| Italian | celebrazione | ||
| The Italian word "celebrazione" derives from the Latin verb "celebrare", meaning "to frequent" or "to honor", and is related to the English word "celebrity". | |||
| Luxembourgish | feier | ||
| The word "Feier" in Luxembourgish not only means "celebration", but also refers to holidays and special occasions. | |||
| Maltese | ċelebrazzjoni | ||
| The Maltese word "ċelebrazzjoni" comes from the Latin "celebratio", meaning "to frequent" or "to attend often." | |||
| Norwegian | feiring | ||
| The word "feiring" is derived from the Old Norse word "færa" meaning "to travel" or "to go on a journey". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | celebração | ||
| The Portuguese word “celebração” can also refer to the act of officiating a religious ceremony and the liturgical year. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | comharrachadh | ||
| Comharrachadh comes from comh- ('together' or 'joint') and arach ('meeting'), so it can also refer to meeting, companionship, or association | |||
| Spanish | celebracion | ||
| The Spanish word 'celebración' comes from the Latin verb 'celebrio,' which means 'make frequent or famous' as well as an alternate translation as 'to crowd.' | |||
| Swedish | firande | ||
| The word "firande" in Swedish can also refer to a "festival" or a "commemoration". | |||
| Welsh | dathlu | ||
| The word "dathlu" can also mean "to bless" or "to consecrate". | |||
Celebration in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | святкаванне | ||
| The word "святкаванне" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *svętъ, meaning "holy" or "sacred." | |||
| Bosnian | proslava | ||
| The word "proslava" originates from the Slavic root "slav" which means "to praise" or "to glorify". | |||
| Bulgarian | празненство | ||
| The Bulgarian word "празненство" also means a "holiday" and derives from an Old Slavonic word for "emptiness". | |||
| Czech | oslava | ||
| The word “oslava” also means the glory or fame of a person or thing. | |||
| Estonian | tähistamine | ||
| "Tähistamine" in Estonian is derived from the word "täht" meaning "star", and can also refer to "marking" or "commemorating" an event. | |||
| Finnish | juhla | ||
| "Juhla" is a common noun that can also be used as a verb, meaning to celebrate. | |||
| Hungarian | ünneplés | ||
| The verb 'ünnepel' (to celebrate) also means 'to become festive' or 'to be solemn' | |||
| Latvian | svinības | ||
| The Latvian word "svinības" also means "the act of shining". | |||
| Lithuanian | šventė | ||
| The word "šventė" also has connotations of "sanctity" or "holiness", and was originally used to refer to pagan religious festivals celebrated by Baltic peoples. | |||
| Macedonian | прослава | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "прослава" is also used to mean "canonization" or "glorification" of a saint. | |||
| Polish | uroczystość | ||
| The word "uroczystość" is also used to refer to the solemnity of an occasion, the gravity or dignity associated with it. | |||
| Romanian | celebrare | ||
| In Romanian, the word "celebrare" comes from the Latin "celebrare," meaning "to crowd around, honor, praise, or attend." | |||
| Russian | празднование | ||
| "Празднование" is derived from the Slavic root "*svęto" meaning "bright" or "clear", and is related to words like "святой" ("saint"), "свет" ("light"), "праздник" ("holiday"), indicating its association with joy and happiness. | |||
| Serbian | прослава | ||
| The word "прослава" comes from the old Slavic root "слав" (slav), meaning "to honor", "to praise", and is related to the word "слава" (slava), which refers to the patron saint of a household or family | |||
| Slovak | oslava | ||
| The word "oslava" in Slovak comes from the Slavic root "slav," meaning "to praise" or "give glory to." | |||
| Slovenian | praznovanje | ||
| Slovene word "praznovanje" also means "emptying" or "making empty" and derives from the Proto-Slavic root *prazdnъ meaning "empty". | |||
| Ukrainian | святкування | ||
| Ukrainian "святкування" is related to "свят" meaning "holy" and also "light" and "feast". | |||
Celebration in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | উদযাপন | ||
| "উদযাপন" has an alternate meaning: "the act of rising or going up." | |||
| Gujarati | ઉજવણી | ||
| The word "ઉજવણી" also means "illumination" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "ujvala" meaning "bright" or "shining". | |||
| Hindi | उत्सव | ||
| The word "उत्सव" is derived from the Sanskrit root "uttha" meaning "to rise" or "to celebrate". | |||
| Kannada | ಆಚರಣೆ | ||
| "ಆಚರಣೆ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "आचार" (ācāra), meaning "custom, practice, or tradition." | |||
| Malayalam | ആഘോഷം | ||
| Marathi | उत्सव | ||
| The word "उत्सव" in Marathi is derived from the Sanskrit word "ut-sava", meaning "to swell up" or "to increase in volume". This is an apt description of a celebration, as it is a time when people come together in large numbers and the atmosphere is filled with joy and excitement. | |||
| Nepali | उत्सव | ||
| The Sanskrit word "उत्सव" (utsav) literally means "gushing forth" or "wellspring". | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਸ਼ਨ | ||
| The word "ਜਸ਼ਨ" comes from the Persian word "jashn", meaning "to rejoice". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සැමරුම | ||
| සැමරුම derives from the Sanskrit word "samara","which refers to any gathering or social event. | |||
| Tamil | கொண்டாட்டம் | ||
| The Tamil word "கொண்டாட்டம்" (celebration) derives from the verb "கொண்டாடുക" (to celebrate), which means "to enjoy something thoroughly" or "to take pleasure in something". | |||
| Telugu | వేడుక | ||
| Its alternate form, 'veedhi', is derived from Sanskrit 'veedhi' and referred to town or village streets where festivals and celebrations were held. | |||
| Urdu | جشن | ||
| The word "جشن" can also refer to a religious ritual or a festival. | |||
Celebration in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 庆典 | ||
| The character "庆" in "庆典" originally meant "to offer sacrifices to ancestors" and "to pray for good fortune". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 慶典 | ||
| The word "慶典" can also refer to a type of ritual music in ancient China. | |||
| Japanese | お祝い | ||
| The word お祝い (iwai) originally referred to a gift or offering made to a shrine or temple in order to express gratitude or pray for good fortune. | |||
| Korean | 축하 | ||
| 축하's characters are 축 (축원: wish) and 하 (행동: action) meaning 'act of wishing'. | |||
| Mongolian | баяр | ||
| The word 'баяр' can also refer to a 'holiday' or a 'festival'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အခမ်းအနား | ||
Celebration in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perayaan | ||
| The word 'perayaan' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'parayana', meaning 'reading of sacred texts'. | |||
| Javanese | pahargyan | ||
| The word "pahargyan" in Javanese also means "to honor" or "to respect". | |||
| Khmer | ការប្រារព្ធពិធី | ||
| Lao | ສະເຫຼີມສະຫຼອງ | ||
| Malay | perayaan | ||
| In Malay, perayaan can refer to a celebration, a religious holiday, or a ritual ceremony. | |||
| Thai | การเฉลิมฉลอง | ||
| The word "การเฉลิมฉลอง" comes from the Sanskrit word "charman," meaning "to please" or "to delight." | |||
| Vietnamese | lễ kỷ niệm | ||
| The word "lễ kỷ niệm" in Vietnamese can also refer to a traditional ceremony commemorating an important event in history, religion, or culture, similar to an "anniversary". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagdiriwang | ||
Celebration in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qeyd etmək | ||
| Derived from Old Turkish word "kut", qeyd etmək also refers to religious festivals in some parts of Azerbaijan. | |||
| Kazakh | мереке | ||
| "Мереке" shares root word(s) with Kazakh word "сүйінсі", also meaning celebration (joy shared amongst a people). | |||
| Kyrgyz | майрам | ||
| In the Kyrgyz language, "майрам" can refer to festivals associated with the Islamic calendar as well as to ancient nomadic holidays. | |||
| Tajik | ҷашн | ||
| Tajik "ҷашн" is ultimately derived from Arabic "جشن", which can refer to holidays and celebrations as well as feasts, festivals, and parties | |||
| Turkmen | baýramçylyk | ||
| Uzbek | bayram | ||
| The word "bayram" comes from the Arabic word "id" meaning "festival". It is also used to refer to specific religious holidays in Islam. | |||
| Uyghur | تەبرىكلەش | ||
Celebration in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻolauleʻa | ||
| "Hoʻolauleʻa" can also mean "to make merry" or "to have a good time". | |||
| Maori | whakanui | ||
| The word "whakanui" also means "to make great" or "to magnify" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | faʻamanatuga | ||
| Faʻamanatuga is not only a celebration but also a gathering of friends and family to commemorate an event. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | pagdiriwang | ||
| "Pagdiriwang" is derived from the root word "diwang" which means "spirit" or "essence". | |||
Celebration in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jach’a phunchhäwi | ||
| Guarani | vy’aguasu rehegua | ||
Celebration in International Languages
| Esperanto | festo | ||
| In Esperanto, "festo" also refers to a gathering of members of an organization and a type of poetry. | |||
| Latin | celebrationem | ||
| The Latin word "celebrationem" can also refer to a religious or liturgical act of commemoration. | |||
Celebration in Others Languages
| Greek | εορτασμός | ||
| In Ancient Greek, the word "εορτασμός" also referred to an assembly of citizens, especially during the performance of religious rites. | |||
| Hmong | kev ua koob tsheej | ||
| The Hmong word "kev ua koob tsheej" can also refer to a special occasion or a festival. | |||
| Kurdish | kêfî | ||
| The Kurdish word "kêfî" also has the secondary meaning of "enjoyment" or "pleasure." | |||
| Turkish | kutlama | ||
| The word 'kutlama' comes from the Turkish verb 'kutlamak', which means 'to congratulate' or 'to wish well'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubhiyozela | ||
| Ukubhiyozela can also refer to the act of worshipping, or paying respect to ancestors. | |||
| Yiddish | סימכע | ||
| The word "simcha" likely comes from the Hebrew word "sameach" meaning "happy" or "joyful". | |||
| Zulu | umgubho | ||
| In the Zulu language, 'umgubho' also denotes a gathering where people participate in traditional rituals and share stories. | |||
| Assamese | উদযাপন | ||
| Aymara | jach’a phunchhäwi | ||
| Bhojpuri | जश्न मनावे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | އުފާފާޅުކުރުން | ||
| Dogri | जश्न मनाना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagdiriwang | ||
| Guarani | vy’aguasu rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | selebrasion | ||
| Krio | sɛlibreshɔn | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ئاهەنگ | ||
| Maithili | उत्सव | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯦꯂꯦꯕ꯭ꯔꯦꯁꯟ ꯇꯧꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | lawmna hun hman a ni | ||
| Oromo | ayyaana kabajuuf | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଉତ୍ସବ | ||
| Quechua | raymichay | ||
| Sanskrit | उत्सवः | ||
| Tatar | бәйрәм | ||
| Tigrinya | ጽምብል | ||
| Tsonga | ku tlangela | ||