celebrar
/θeleˈbɾaɾ/
The Spanish verb for 'celebrate' is celebrar. Wiktionary also lists festejar.
Meaning: to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| celebrar | /θeleˈbɾaɾ/ /seleˈbɾaɾ/ |
| festejar | /festeˈxaɾ/ |
Both celebrar and festejar mean to engage in joyful activity in appreciation of an event.
Which one should you use?
celebrar is the standard verb used for formal events, holidays or official commemorations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the noun festejo is used to refer to a celebration or party. In Spain, the noun celebración is commonly used for 'celebration.'
How does it change in a sentence?
celebrar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, with forms such as celebro, celebras, celebra, celebramos, celebráis and celebran.
How do you pronounce it?
/θeleˈbɾaɾ/
Did you know?
- In a legal context, celebrar is used to describe the act of signing or executing a contract, such as celebrar un contrato.
- While celebrar means 'celebrate', it is also the standard word used in Spanish for 'to hold' or 'to conduct' a meeting, such as celebrar una reunión.
- The Spanish word celebrar shares its roots with the English word 'celebrity'. Both stem from the Latin idea of something being 'frequented' or 'widely attended'.
Examples in context
- Yo no lo celebraría aún.I wouldn't celebrate just yet.This sentence shows how to use celebrar in the conditional tense.Tatoeba #13462271 by Seael, translation #4665323 by CK
- Ahora es hora de celebrar.Now, it's time to celebrate.This sentence shows how to use celebrar to indicate it is time for an activity.Tatoeba #1476881 by marcelostockle, translation #1476652 by Spamster
- ¿Qué deberíamos hacer para celebrar?What should we do to celebrate?This sentence shows how to use celebrar when asking for suggestions.Tatoeba #7966560 by pchamorro, translation #4016749 by CK
- Mañana celebraremos su cumpleaños con una gran fiesta.Tomorrow we will celebrate his/her birthday with a big party.
- El equipo ganador celebró su victoria con euforia.The winning team celebrated their victory with euphoria.
- Vamos a festejar tu graduación en el parque.We are going to celebrate your graduation in the park.
- Después del trabajo, nos juntamos a celebrar el cumpleaños de Juan.After work, we get together to celebrate Juan's birthday.
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños!Happy birthday!
- ¡Disfruta y celebra tu dominio del español!Enjoy and celebrate your mastery of Spanish!
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their graduation.
- AlejandroElena, ¿quieres celebrar nuestra graduación?Elena, do you want to celebrate our graduation?
- Elena¡Claro! Me encantaría celebrar con mis amigos.Of course! I would love to celebrate with my friends.
- AlejandroPodemos celebrar en ese restaurante nuevo.We can celebrate at that new restaurant.
- ElenaEs una idea excelente, Alejandro.That is an excellent idea, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celebrate” translations and entries celebrar, festejar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries celebrar, festejar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
