festejar
“festejar” means “to celebrate” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to celebrate
Also: to commemorate
📝 In Action
Mañana vamos a festejar mi cumpleaños en un restaurante.
A1Tomorrow we are going to celebrate my birthday at a restaurant.
Toda la ciudad festejó la victoria del equipo.
B1The whole city celebrated the team's victory.
Es importante festejar los pequeños logros de la vida.
B2It is important to celebrate life's small achievements.
to court
Also: to flirt with
📝 In Action
El joven caballero festejaba a la dama con poemas.
C1The young gentleman courted the lady with poems.
Pasó meses festejándola antes de pedir su mano.
C2He spent months wooing her before asking for her hand.
En las novelas antiguas, los hombres solían festejar a las mujeres en el balcón.
B2In old novels, men used to court women at the balcony.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: festejar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'We are celebrating the anniversary'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Spanish word 'fiesta' (party), which comes from the Latin 'festum' (holiday/feast).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'festejar' the same as 'celebrar'?
Yes, they are very similar. However, 'festejar' is more informal and usually implies a social gathering or a party, whereas 'celebrar' can be used for more formal things like a mass or a legal ceremony.
Can I use 'festejar' for a holiday like Christmas?
Absolutely! You can say 'Festejamos la Navidad en familia' (We celebrate Christmas as a family).
Is 'festejar' a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar, so it's very easy to conjugate.