Which one should you use?
While feiern is the standard term, you might use begehen when you are formally commemorating a special occasion or observing a significant event. For celebrations that are more formal or elaborate and intended to add a touch of grandeur, use zelebrieren. If you want to describe a lively and enthusiastic celebration in a colloquial way, use abfeiern. You can also use the expression Party machen to specifically mean partying or throwing a party.
How does it change in a sentence?
The simple past tense of feiern is feierte. The past participle is gefeiert, which is used to form perfect tenses, such as ich habe gefeiert (I have celebrated). The present tense conjugation for the second person plural or the formal singular is feiert.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfaɪ̯ɐn/
Did you know?
- German has a specific term Polterabend, a pre-wedding celebration where guests break porcelain plates to bring the couple good luck.
- The word Feierabend combines 'celebration' and 'evening' to describe the specific moment one stops working for the day.
- While feiern is general, begehen can be used for both celebrating a victory and 'committing' a crime, as in einen Fehler begehen.
Examples in context
- Jetzt lasst uns feiern!Now let's celebrate.This sentence is useful for encouraging a group to celebrate now.Tatoeba #2590782 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2249701 by CK
- Heute Abend feiern wir.Tonight we celebrate.This sentence is useful for stating that a celebration is happening tonight.Tatoeba #3060026 by thomasvw, translation #2253786 by CK
- Feiern wir unseren Sieg!Let's celebrate our victory!This sentence is useful for suggesting a celebration of a victory.Tatoeba #7917965 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7915520 by Hybrid
- Heute feiern wir den Erfolg unseres Unternehmens.Today we celebrate the success of our company.
- Wir begehen den Tag der Deutschen Einheit mit einer feierlichen Zeremonie.We celebrate German Unity Day with a solemn ceremony.
- Die Stadt wird das Jubiläum mit einer spektakulären Parade und einem Feuerwerk zelebrieren.The city will celebrate the anniversary with a spectacular parade and fireworks.
- Wir feiern heute Abend Geburtstag bei mir zu Hause.We're celebrating a birthday at my place tonight.
- Lass uns das Wochenende abfeiern und tanzen gehen!Let's celebrate the weekend and go dancing!
- Wir machen am Samstag eine große Gartenparty.We're throwing a big garden party on Saturday.
- Lasst uns eine ordentliche Fete machen!Let's have a proper celebration/party!
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are talking about a birthday.
- SarahWann wollen wir deinen Geburtstag feiern?When do we want to celebrate your birthday?
- LukasWir können am Samstag feiern.We can celebrate on Saturday.
- SarahDas passt gut, ich lade alle ein.That works well, I'll invite everyone.
- LukasSuper, ich freue mich darauf!Great, I'm looking forward to it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrate” translations and entries feiern, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
