What does fête in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word fête in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use fête in French.

The word fête in French means party, celebration, fun, party, celebration, festival, feast, name day, the holidays, celebrate, be a party animal, happy name day, happy birthday, that's a cause for celebration, he's/she's got it coming to him/her, he's/she's going to get it, be part of , be a part of , take part in, celebrate, party, celebrate, party, greet excitedly, greet enthusiastically, give a good thrashing, give a dressing down, have a party, fancy-dress party, charity benefit, charity event, Valentine's Day, Annunciation, World Music Day, All Saints' Day, Christmas, neighbourhood party, Mother's Day, All Souls' Day, Father's Day, Twelfth Night, It's a free-for-all!, Labour Day, funfair, moveable feast, National Day, National Holiday, festival, religious holiday, patron saint's day festival, local saint's day festival, Corpus Christi, be a spoilsport, be a party pooper, be a party pooper, be a killjoy, day of celebration, not be in a mood for a party, take on a festive spirit, Let the good times roll!, cannot wait for, cannot wait to do, party night, fun night, killjoy, spoilsport. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word fête

party, celebration

nom féminin (réunion joyeuse)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Dis maman, je peux aller à la fête de Sophie samedi soir ? Mon frère a organisé une grande fête à l'occasion de ses 50 ans.
Mum, can I go to Sophie's party on Saturday? My brother arranged a big celebration for his fiftieth birthday.

fun, party

nom féminin (amusement)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Non, la vie, ce n'est pas la fête tout le temps. Parfois, il faut aussi travailler.
Life isn't a party all the time; sometimes we have to work.

celebration, festival, feast

nom féminin (célébration)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La fête nationale française a lieu le 14 juillet.
France's national celebration takes place on 14 July.

name day

nom féminin (célébration d'un saint)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Aujourd'hui, c'est la Saint Gérard, c'est ta fête, Gérard, bonne fête !
Today is Saint Gerard's day, which makes it your name day, Gerard; enjoy!

the holidays

nom féminin pluriel (période en fin d'année)

(plural noun: Noun always used in plural form--for example, "jeans," "scissors.")
Je vais voir ma famille au Canada pour les fêtes, et toi ?
I'm going to see my family in Canada for the holidays; how about you?

celebrate

verbe transitif (célébrer)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Julien a fêté son anniversaire hier. Mon père fêtera ses 50 ans samedi.
Julian celebrated his birthday yesterday. My father will be celebrating his fiftieth birthday on Saturday.

be a party animal

locution verbale (savoir faire la fête)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Tous ses amis aiment bien se retrouver chez Pierre car il a le sens de la fête.

happy name day

interjection (souhait le jour de son saint) (cultural)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Oh, c'est la Saint Thomas aujourd'hui : il faut que je pense à dire bonne fête à mon frère quand je le verrai ce soir. En me voyant arriver ce matin, tous mes collègues m'ont lancé « Bonne fête, Julie » d'une seule et même voix !

happy birthday

interjection (Can (joyeux anniversaire)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

that's a cause for celebration

(il faut célébrer ça)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Ça fait trois ans que tu bosses ici : eh, mais ça se fête !

he's/she's got it coming to him/her, he's/she's going to get it

(familier (Il ou elle va se faire sermonner) (informal)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Tu as entendu à quelle heure elle est rentrée cette nuit ? Ça va être sa fête !

be part of , be a part of , take part in

locution verbale (faire partie de la fête)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Est-ce que toi aussi tu seras de la fête ?

celebrate

locution verbale (fêter [qch] avec des manifestations)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
ⓘCette phrase n'est pas une traduction de la phrase originale. The town is always festive at this time of year.

party, celebrate

locution verbale (célébrer [qch])

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Les lycéens qui ont obtenu leur bac ont fait la fête toute la nuit.
The high school students who had just passed their exams partied all night long.

party

locution verbale (prendre du bon temps)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Ces étudiants ne pensent qu'à faire la fête. Mes voisin font la fête quasiment tous les soirs, c'est insupportable.
These students cannot think of anything other than partying. My neighbours party almost every night; it is unbearable.

greet excitedly, greet enthusiastically

locution verbale (accueillir chaleureusement [qqn])

Un chien fait la fête à son maître lorsqu'il rentre du travail.
Dogs greet their owners excitedly when they come home from work.

give a good thrashing

locution verbale (figuré, familier (agresser, frapper [qqn])

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
On va te retrouver dehors et on va te faire ta fête !

give a dressing down

locution verbale (figuré, familier (réprimander [qqn]) (informal)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Le directeur a fait sa fête à l'élève fugueur.

have a party

locution verbale (organiser une fête)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Je fais une fête chez moi samedi, ça te dit de venir ?

fancy-dress party

nom féminin (bal masqué) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Pour son anniversaire, il organise une fête costumée.

charity benefit, charity event

nom féminin (fête de bienfaisance)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette association caritative donne une fête de charité une fois par an.

Valentine's Day

nom féminin (Saint-Valentin)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

Annunciation

nom féminin (fête chrétienne) (Christian calendar)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La fête de l'Annonciation fait référence à l'annonce de l'archange Gabriel à la Vierge Marie de sa grossesse divine.

World Music Day

nom féminin (fête populaire au solstice d'été) (21st June)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Ils se sont rencontrés lors de la fête de la musique.

All Saints' Day

nom féminin (fête catholique pour honorer les saints) (1st November)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
On fleurit les cimetières à la fête de la Toussaint.

Christmas

nom féminin (fête commémorant la naissance de Jésus)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
On met du gui sur les tables pendant les fêtes de Noël.

neighbourhood party

nom féminin (rassemblement des habitants d'une zone)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La fête des voisins est une fête de quartier annuelle.

Mother's Day

nom féminin (célébration des mères)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La fête des mères a lieu à différents moments selon les pays. Je retourne voir mes parents à la fête des mères.

All Souls' Day

nom féminin (fête religieuse) (2nd November)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le fête des morts est en France une fête religieuse pour célébrer les défunts.

Father's Day

nom masculin (célébration des pères)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
En France, la fête des pères a lieu en juin.

Twelfth Night

nom féminin (l'Épiphanie)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
On mange une galette pour la fête des Rois.

It's a free-for-all!

(familier, figuré, péjoratif (expression de laisser-aller)

(interjection: Exclamation--for example, "Oh no!" "Wow!")

Labour Day

nom féminin (1er mai) (UK, AU, Can)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

funfair

nom féminin (foire)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La fête foraine rassemble de nombreux manèges.
Funfairs are made up of many rides.

moveable feast

nom féminin (fête à date variable) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

National Day, National Holiday

nom féminin (hommage à la nation)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
En France, le 14 juillet est le jour de la Fête nationale.
In France July 14th is the National Day.

festival

nom féminin (fête à fort engouement)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

religious holiday

nom féminin (fête de religion)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Pâques et Noël sont deux grandes fêtes religieuses.

patron saint's day festival, local saint's day festival

nom féminin (fête du saint patron d'une ville)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

Corpus Christi

nom féminin (fête catholique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La Fête-Dieu a lieu 60 jours après Pâques.

be a spoilsport, be a party pooper

locution verbale (gâcher une fête)

be a party pooper, be a killjoy

locution verbale (être rabat-joie)

day of celebration

nom masculin (journée festive)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Demain c'est l'anniversaire d'Antoine, c'est un jour de fête !

not be in a mood for a party

locution verbale (être triste)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

take on a festive spirit

locution verbale (s'apparenter à une fête)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Let the good times roll!

(C´est parti !)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

cannot wait for

locution verbale (attendre impatiemment [qch])

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Mes grands-parents se font une fête de ces vacances.

cannot wait to do

locution verbale (attendre impatiemment de faire)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
mes grands-parents se font une fête de partir en Grèce.

party night, fun night

nom masculin (soirée festive)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

killjoy, spoilsport

nom masculin (personne importune)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Parfois, des trouble-fêtes interrompent une réunion politique.

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