Fête is the most common way to say “party” in French. But there are several other options, each with its own nuance and context. As you explore French culture and maybe even get invited to some social gatherings, you'll want to know how to talk about them! Let’s dive into 9 different ways to say “party” (and related concepts) in French, so you can sound like a true native speaker!

The general 'party' or 'celebration' – la fête

In French, la fête is the most common and versatile word for 'party' or 'celebration'.

As a feminine noun, it takes la in the singular (la fête) and les in the plural (les fêtes).

La fête can refer to a social gathering like a birthday party, a family celebration, or even a public holiday or festival. It's a very inclusive term for any joyous occasion.

When you want to express the action of 'partying,' the common expression is faire la fête (literally 'to make the party').

Beyond personal celebrations, la fête is also used for national holidays (e.g., la Fête Nationale for Bastille Day) and religious festivals (e.g., la fête de Noël for Christmas).

You'll often hear phrases like bonne fête! (Happy name day/holiday!) or un jour de fête (a festive day/holiday).

💡 * On va faire une grande fête pour son anniversaire. (We're going to have a big party for his birthday.)

J'adore les fêtes de fin d'année. (I love the end-of-year holidays.)

Ils ont fait la fête toute la nuit. (They partied all night.)

C'est la fête du village ce week-end. (It's the village festival this weekend.)

Bonne fête! (Happy name day/holiday!)

The evening 'party' or 'gathering' – la soirée

When you want to talk about an evening gathering or a party in French, the most common and versatile word you'll encounter is la soirée.

While la fête can refer to a celebration at any time of day, la soirée specifically denotes an event or gathering that takes place in the evening, after sunset.

This word is incredibly flexible and can describe anything from a casual get-together with friends to a more formal dinner party, a club night, or even a cultural event like a concert or play that occurs in the evening.

The emphasis is on the duration and the time of day. A soirée typically starts in the late afternoon or evening and can extend late into the night, involving activities like dining, dancing, conversation, or entertainment.

You'll often hear phrases like 'faire la soirée' (to party/have an evening gathering), 'une soirée entre amis' (an evening with friends), or 'une soirée dansante' (a dance party).

Understanding la soirée is key to navigating social invitations in France, as it's a fundamental part of French social life, signifying a planned or spontaneous gathering for enjoyment after the day's work.

💡 *On a passé une super soirée hier. (We had a great evening/party yesterday.)
*Tu viens à ma soirée samedi ? (Are you coming to my party on Saturday?)
*J'ai une soirée de travail ce soir. (I have a work event/gathering this evening.)
*C'est une soirée dansante, apporte tes chaussures ! (It's a dance party, bring your shoes!)
*Nous avons organisé une petite soirée entre amis. (We organized a small evening gathering with friends.)

The formal 'reception' or 'event' – la réception

In French, la réception is most commonly used to refer to a formal gathering, party, or event.

This noun is directly derived from the verb recevoir (to receive), highlighting its connection to receiving guests or attendees.

You'll frequently encounter la réception when talking about formal occasions such as wedding receptions (la réception de mariage), official diplomatic gatherings, or opening events for art exhibitions.

Beyond social events, la réception also refers to the reception of a signal, like a TV signal, radio waves, or a phone signal. For example, 'J'ai une mauvaise réception' means 'I have bad reception (signal).'

While less common as a standalone noun for 'welcome' in everyday speech, it can imply the general act or manner of receiving someone with hospitality, especially in more formal contexts.

It's important not to confuse la réception (a formal event or signal reception) with le reçu, which is the word for a receipt (of payment for goods or services).

As with many French words, the precise meaning of la réception depends heavily on the context in which it is used, so pay attention to surrounding words and the situation.

💡 * Nous irons à la réception après la cérémonie. (We will go to the reception after the ceremony.)

La réception est mauvaise ici, je ne peux pas appeler. (The reception is bad here, I can't call.)

L'artiste sera présent à la réception de l'exposition. (The artist will be present at the exhibition reception.)

La ville a organisé une réception en l'honneur du maire. (The city organized a reception in honor of the mayor.)

The informal 'get-together' (often for drinks) – le pot

In French, le pot (pronounced 'leh poh') refers to an informal social gathering, often for drinks, a celebratory toast, or a casual get-together with colleagues or friends.

It's typically a relaxed event, less formal than a dinner party, and frequently involves alcoholic beverages like wine or beer, though it can also be for coffee or other non-alcoholic drinks. Think of it as a 'happy hour' or a casual 'round of drinks'.

Common phrases include prendre un pot ('to have a drink/grab a drink'), boire un pot ('to drink a glass'), or organiser un pot ('to organize a get-together'). It's a very common expression in French professional and social life.

The term emphasizes the casual and inclusive nature of the event, often marking a departure, a celebration, or simply a moment to socialize with colleagues after work or friends on a weekend.

💡 * On va prendre un pot ce soir ? (Shall we grab a drink tonight?)

J'ai organisé un pot de départ pour mon collègue. (I organized a farewell drink for my colleague.)

Après le travail, on se retrouve pour un pot. (After work, we're meeting up for a drink.)

Merci pour le pot ! C'était très sympa. (Thanks for the get-together! It was very nice.)

Tu veux boire un pot avec nous ? (Do you want to have a drink with us?)

The 'New Year's Eve' or 'Christmas Eve' party – le réveillon

The French word le réveillon refers specifically to a special, festive meal or party held on the eve of a major holiday, most commonly Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.

Derived from the verb réveiller (to wake up), le réveillon literally implies staying awake or celebrating late into the night. It's used for le réveillon de Noël (Christmas Eve) and le réveillon du Nouvel An (New Year's Eve).

These aren't just ordinary dinners; they are elaborate, often luxurious meals shared with family and friends, marking the transition into a significant holiday. Think of it as a celebratory feast.

It's important to note that le réveillon doesn't refer to any evening meal. It specifically denotes these particular festive celebrations, distinguishing them from a regular soirée (evening).

You'll often hear phrases like faire le réveillon (to celebrate the réveillon) or passer le réveillon (to spend the réveillon), indicating participation in these special events.

💡 *On passe le réveillon de Noël chez mes parents. (We're spending Christmas Eve at my parents' house.)
*Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour le réveillon du Nouvel An ? (What are you doing for New Year's Eve?)
*Le réveillon était délicieux et nous avons dansé jusqu'au matin. (The New Year's Eve party was delicious and we danced until morning.)
*Ils préparent un grand réveillon avec tous leurs amis. (They are preparing a big New Year's/Christmas Eve party with all their friends.)

The 'birthday party' – la fête d'anniversaire

The most direct and common way to say 'birthday party' in French is la fête d'anniversaire.

Literally, fête means 'party' or 'celebration,' and anniversaire means 'birthday' (or 'anniversary' in a broader sense). So, la fête d'anniversaire combines these to form the complete phrase.

While la fête d'anniversaire is precise, it's very common to simply say un anniversaire when referring to a birthday party, especially in informal contexts. For example, On va à un anniversaire ce soir (We're going to a birthday party tonight).

Don't forget the classic greeting: Joyeux anniversaire ! (Happy Birthday!). You might also hear phrases like souffler les bougies (to blow out the candles) or offrir un cadeau (to give a gift) in the context of a birthday party.

💡 *On va à une fête d'anniversaire ce soir.
*Tu as organisé une fête d'anniversaire pour lui ?
*Joyeux anniversaire ! J'espère que ta fête sera super.
*La fête d'anniversaire de mon fils est samedi prochain.
*Tu viens à mon anniversaire ?

The lively, informal 'bash' – la sauterie

Want to talk about a lively, informal gathering in French? The perfect word is la sauterie. This term refers to a casual party or get-together, often with a spontaneous or intimate feel.

La sauterie carries a connotation of being informal, often unplanned, and generally less grand than a fête or soirée. It evokes a sense of familiar fun among friends, sometimes even with a slightly old-fashioned charm.

As indicated by the article la, sauterie is a feminine noun. Its plural form is les sauteries, used to describe multiple informal gatherings.

💡 *On organise une petite sauterie ce soir, tu viens ? (We're having a little bash tonight, are you coming?)
*Ce n'était pas une grande fête, juste une sauterie entre amis. (It wasn't a big party, just a get-together among friends.)
*J'adore les sauteries improvisées. (I love impromptu gatherings.)
*La sauterie a duré jusqu'au bout de la nuit. (The bash lasted until the end of the night.)

The 'dance' or 'ball' – le bal

The 'dance' or 'ball' – le bal. This term refers to a formal or semi-formal dance event, often with a specific theme or purpose.

While un bal can sometimes imply a grand, elegant affair, it's also used for more common events like a high school prom (un bal de promo) or a public dance (un bal populaire).

It's crucial to differentiate le bal from la danse. La danse refers to the act of dancing itself or a specific dance style (e.g., la danse classique for classical ballet). Le bal, conversely, is the event or gathering where people dance.

You'll often hear le bal in set phrases like un bal masqué (a masked ball), un bal de fin d'année (an end-of-year dance/prom), or un bal des pompiers (a firemen's ball, a popular summer event in France).

💡 * Ils ont organisé un magnifique bal pour le mariage de leur fille. (They organized a magnificent ball for their daughter's wedding.)

Tu vas au bal de promo cette année? (Are you going to the prom this year?)

Le bal masqué était très élégant et tout le monde portait un costume. (The masked ball was very elegant and everyone wore a costume.)

Nous avons dansé toute la nuit au bal populaire du village. (We danced all night at the village's public dance.)

The informal 'teenage party' – la boum

In French, la boum is the informal term for a party, particularly one organized by and for teenagers or young people. It's akin to a 'bash' or a 'house party' for a younger crowd.

This word carries a distinctly casual and youthful connotation. While une fête is a general term for a party and une soirée often implies an evening gathering (which can be formal or informal), la boum specifically evokes a lively, often spontaneous, and less structured gathering of friends.

The term gained significant popularity, especially in the 1980s, partly due to the famous French film La Boum starring Sophie Marceau, which perfectly captured the essence of teenage parties of the era. It remains a widely understood expression today.

💡 * On va organiser une boum ce samedi. (We're going to organize a party this Saturday.)

C'était une super boum chez Sophie hier soir. (It was a great party at Sophie's last night.)

Mes parents me laissent faire une boum pour mon anniversaire. (My parents are letting me have a party for my birthday.)

La boum a duré jusqu'à minuit. (The party lasted until midnight.)

Il y avait beaucoup de monde à la boum. (There were a lot of people at the party.)

Are there other ways to say 'party' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'party' in French. But the French language is rich with nuances, including regional terms, slang, and older expressions that a single list can't fully capture!

To explore more, you can also do an online search for 'comment dire fête en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region, like 'comment dire fête en Belgique'.

You might discover some interesting synonyms for fête on your journey. Always remember to verify a word's definition and observe how it's used in natural contexts before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

As you read, watch, and listen to French media, pay close attention to how native speakers refer to gatherings and celebrations. You'll likely pick up new and exciting terms for 'party'!

And if you're looking for an extensive list of synonyms or related expressions for fête, the WordReference entry is an excellent starting point for further exploration.

I hope this article has helped clarify the various ways to express 'party' in French. To conclude, here’s a thought from Victor Hugo that perfectly captures the spirit of celebration: La fête est le plus court chemin entre deux coeurs. (A celebration is the shortest path between two hearts.)

9 ways to say "party" in French