Ways to say it
| Catalan | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| festa | [ˈfe̞s.tə] (Northern, narrow) [ˈfes.tə] (Balearic, Central, narrow) |
feminine |
| sarau | [səˈɾaw] (Balearic, Central, Northern, narrow) [saˈɾaw] (Northwestern, Valencia, narrow) |
masculine |
The word festa is the most common and versatile term for a social gathering. You can use it in compound phrases to describe the nature of an event, such as festa de caritat for a charity event. If you want to describe the action of going out to celebrate or go partying, use the verbal phrase anar de festa.
Which one should you use?
While festa is the standard term, you might use festassa to emphasize that a party is particularly big, lively or wild. For more formal contexts, the term celebració conveys the concept of a formal party, whereas recepció is used specifically when referring to a reception or an official gathering. Sarau is a masculine alternative.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the region of Tarragona, a unique social gathering involving the eating of grilled calçots is known as a calçotada. In the Balearic Islands, specifically in Mallorca, a traditional festive event equivalent to a party is called a revetllada.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word festa is a feminine noun. Its plural form is festes.
When do people say it?
Social gatherings vary by tradition and region, such as the specific calçotada in Tarragona or the revetllada in Mallorca.
Did you know?
- The word sarau is a linguistic traveler that entered Catalan from Spanish, which borrowed it from Portuguese serão to describe evening gatherings.
- While festa means 'party', it is also used to describe a 'holiday' or 'feast day' in the calendar.
- A calçotada is a specific type of party where the main event is eating grilled spring onions called calçots dipped in romesco sauce.
Examples in context
- El Tom es va divertir molt a la festa.Tom had lots of fun at the party.This sentence shows how to use festa to describe having fun at a party.Tatoeba #1309924 by Kiraness, translation #1025577 by CK
- Era una festa per a celebrar el seu aniversari.It was a party to celebrate her birthday.This sentence uses festa to explain the purpose of a party.Tatoeba #9723136 by mialiesperantistas, translation #42150 by CK
- La festa serà el proper dissabte és a dir, el 26 d'agost.The party will be next Saturday. That is to say the 26th of August.This sentence demonstrates the use of festa when stating the date of an event.Tatoeba #9726994 by mialiesperantistas, translation #9804901 by helloroto
- Vull organitzar una festa sorpresa pel teu aniversari.I want to organize a surprise party for your birthday.
- Anem a muntar una festassa aquest cap de setmana!Let's throw a huge party this weekend!
- Vine a casa i fem un porró amb els amics.Come to my place and let's have a casual gathering with friends.
- La celebració dels 50 anys de l'empresa serà al teatre municipal.The company's 50th-anniversary celebration will take place at the municipal theater.
- Assistiré a la recepció que organitza el consolat.I will attend the reception organized by the consulate.
- Aquest cap de setmana fem una autèntica calçotada amb amics.This weekend, let's have an authentic calçotada with friends.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laia and Marc are talking about a friend's event.
- LaiaVine a la festa d'en Pau demà.Come to Pau's party tomorrow.
- MarcA quina hora comença la festa?What time does the party start?
- LaiaComença a les vuit del vespre.It starts at eight in the evening.
- MarcPerfecte, i jo hi aniré!Perfect, I will go there!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “party” translations and entries festa, sarau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries festa, sarau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
