Inklingo

How to Say "party" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “party” is “fiesta” — use 'fiesta' for a general social gathering, especially one held for celebration like a birthday or holiday..

fiesta🔊A1

Use 'fiesta' for a general social gathering, especially one held for celebration like a birthday or holiday.

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celebraciónA1

Use 'celebración' for an informal gathering with the primary purpose of celebrating something, often a personal milestone.

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baile🔊A1

Choose 'baile' when the main activity of the event is dancing, such as a dance party or a formal ball.

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partido🔊A2

Use 'partido' specifically for a political party or an organized group within a political system.

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bola🔊B2

Opt for 'bola' in very informal contexts to refer to a lively social gathering or bash, often at someone's home.

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bando🔊B1

Use 'bando' to describe a faction, side, or group, especially in a conflict, dispute, or competition.

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parte🔊A1

Use 'parte' when referring to a side or participant in a disagreement or a specific section of something.

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English → Spanish

fiesta

/fyes-tah//ˈfjesta/

NounA1General
Use 'fiesta' for a general social gathering, especially one held for celebration like a birthday or holiday.
A group of happy friends gathered around a colorful birthday cake with lit candles and bright party balloons.

Examples

Mi hermano organiza una fiesta para su cumpleaños.

My brother is organizing a party for his birthday.

Fuimos a una fiesta en la playa anoche.

We went to a party on the beach last night.

Gracias por invitarme a la fiesta, ¡me divertí mucho!

Thanks for inviting me to the party, I had a lot of fun!

Feminine Nouns

In Spanish, nouns have a gender. 'Fiesta' ends in '-a', which is a big clue that it's a 'feminine' word. That's why you always say 'la fiesta' (the party) or 'una fiesta' (a party).

Don't Confuse 'Fiesta' with 'Partido'

Mistake: “Te invito a mi partido de cumpleaños.”

Correction: Te invito a mi fiesta de cumpleaños. (I invite you to my birthday party.) 'Partido' means a sports game or match, or a political party. For a celebration, you always want to use 'fiesta'.

celebración

nounA1Informal
Use 'celebración' for an informal gathering with the primary purpose of celebrating something, often a personal milestone.

Examples

La celebración de su cumpleaños fue espectacular.

The celebration for his birthday was spectacular.

baile

/BAI-leh//ˈbai̯.le/

NounA1General
Choose 'baile' when the main activity of the event is dancing, such as a dance party or a formal ball.
A colorful illustration showing a joyful couple performing a lively social dance step on a wooden floor.

Examples

Me encanta el baile flamenco.

I love flamenco dancing.

¿Vas a ir al baile de la escuela el viernes?

Are you going to the school dance on Friday?

Organizaron un baile de caridad para recaudar fondos.

They organized a charity ball to raise funds.

It's a Masculine Noun

Even though it ends in 'e', 'baile' is masculine. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it. For example, 'El baile fue divertido' (The dance was fun).

partido

/par-TEE-doh//paɾˈti.ðo/

NounA2Formal/Political
Use 'partido' specifically for a political party or an organized group within a political system.
A group of diverse people standing together, symbolizing a political party.

Examples

Mi abuelo siempre vota por el mismo partido político.

My grandfather always votes for the same political party.

El líder del partido dio un discurso importante.

The leader of the party gave an important speech.

Not a Celebration!

Mistake: “Voy a un partido esta noche. (Meaning you're going to a celebration)”

Correction: Voy a una fiesta esta noche. Use `partido` only for sports or politics. A celebration or social get-together is a `fiesta`.

bola

/boh-lah//ˈbo.la/

nounB2Informal/Slang
Opt for 'bola' in very informal contexts to refer to a lively social gathering or bash, often at someone's home.
Three cheerful figures wearing cone party hats, surrounded by colorful balloons and scattered confetti.

Examples

¿Vamos a la bola este sábado en casa de Pedro?

Are we going to the party this Saturday at Pedro's house?

¡Qué buena bola se armó anoche!

What a great party/bash was put together last night!

bando

/BAHN-doh//ˈbando/

nounB1General/Conflict
Use 'bando' to describe a faction, side, or group, especially in a conflict, dispute, or competition.
Two groups of people wearing different colored shirts standing on opposite sides of a field.

Examples

En la guerra civil, muchas familias se dividieron en bandos opuestos.

During the civil war, many families were divided into opposing sides.

No quiero elegir un bando en esta discusión.

I don't want to choose a side in this argument.

Los caballeros del bando del rey ganaron la batalla.

The knights on the king's side won the battle.

Always Masculine

Even though it ends in 'o', which is standard, remember that 'el bando' is used even if the people in that group are women. It refers to the group itself.

Bando vs. Banda

Mistake: “Using 'bando' to mean a music group.”

Correction: Use 'banda' for a music group or a gang. 'Bando' is strictly for sides in a division or conflict.

parte

/PAR-teh//ˈpaɾte/

NounA1General
Use 'parte' when referring to a side or participant in a disagreement or a specific section of something.
A colorful jigsaw puzzle with one final piece being fitted into place by a hand.

Examples

La primera parte de la película fue un poco lenta.

The first part of the movie was a bit slow.

Quiero una parte del pastel de chocolate.

I want a piece of the chocolate cake.

Esa es mi parte favorita de la canción.

That's my favorite part of the song.

Always Feminine: 'la parte'

Even though it ends in '-e', this word is almost always feminine. Remember to use 'la', 'una', and adjectives that end in '-a'. For example, 'la parte más bonita' (the prettiest part).

Using 'el' instead of 'la'

Mistake: “Me gusta el parte de atrás del coche.”

Correction: Me gusta la parte de atrás del coche. Unless you mean 'official report', always use 'la' with this meaning.

Party vs. Political Party

The most common confusion for learners is using 'fiesta' or 'celebración' when they mean a political party. Remember that 'partido' is the specific word for a political group or organization.

Related Translations

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