French word

célébrer

Pronunciation

IPA/selebʁe/

Meaning

  • verbcelebrate

Example

Nous allons célébrer ton anniversaire ce soir.

We are going to celebrate your birthday tonight.

Illustration for célébrer (celebrate)

More examples

Après la victoire, ils ont célébré toute la nuit.

After the victory, they celebrated throughout the night.

Core concept

People give public importance to an occasion by gathering, honoring what it represents, and expressing collective joy or respect.

Common phrases

  • célébrer un anniversaire

    celebrate a birthday

  • célébrer une victoire

    celebrate a victory

  • célébrer Noël

    celebrate Christmas

Similar words

fêter: Celebrate a happy occasion with a casual party or feast among friends or family.
commémorer: Remember a past event or person through a ceremony or commemorative observance.
honorer: Show respect for a person's achievements or an event's value.
marquer: Highlight an event or date through special words or actions.

Definition in French

Marquer un événement par une cérémonie, un rassemblement ou des paroles pour en honorer la mémoire ou la réussite.

Word origin

Célébrer developed from Latin celebrare, a verb associated with large gatherings and public honor, through the historical development of French.

Usage tips

  • Célébrer is generally more formal or ceremonial than fêter, which is common for personal festivities.

Other meanings

  • performverb
  • honorverb
  • commemorateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • célébrationcelebrationnoun
  • célébrérenownedadjective
  • célébrantofficiantnoun

Word lists with this word