They Are Celebrating in Spanish | Phrases Locals Actually Say

In Spanish, you can say “Están celebrando” for “They’re celebrating,” with “Celebran” as a common present-tense option.

“They are celebrating” sounds simple in English. In Spanish, you’ve got choices, and each one carries a slightly different feel. Pick the right one and you sound natural. Pick the wrong one and your sentence still makes sense, yet it can feel oddly “translated.”

This article gives you the Spanish phrases people reach for in real conversation, plus the quick decision rules that keep you from second-guessing mid-sentence. You’ll get short lines you can reuse, longer lines that add the reason for the celebration, and a couple of clean, written-style options for invites and announcements.

What You’re Trying To Say When You Say “They Are Celebrating”

In English, “they are celebrating” can mean two things.

• Right now: the celebration is in progress at this moment.
• As a plan or situation: they’re celebrating today, this weekend, or as the event happening in their lives.

Spanish often marks that difference more clearly. If you mean “right now,” Spanish often uses estar + a gerund (the “-ing” form). If you mean a plan, a calendar item, or a general statement, Spanish often uses the simple present.

The main verb you’ll use is celebrar. It can mean to hold a festive act, to mark an occasion, or to carry out a formal act, depending on context.

They Are Celebrating in Spanish: The Two Core Options

If you only learn two lines for this topic, learn these:

• Están celebrando. (They’re celebrating.)
• Celebran. (They celebrate / They’re celebrating.)

Están celebrando points to an action in progress. You can almost hear the music behind it. Celebran is broader. It works for a plan, a routine, or a simple statement of what’s going on.

When “Están celebrando” Sounds Right

Use están celebrando when you’re describing what’s happening in the moment. You’re watching it, hearing it, or walking into it.

This is the progressive construction in Spanish. If you want a quick refresher on the pattern, Instituto Cervantes’ CVC activity on “Estar + gerundio” explains how Spanish uses it to talk about actions underway.

Common add-ons:

• Están celebrando un cumpleaños.
• Están celebrando que ganaron.
• Están celebrando en casa.
• Están celebrando con sus amigos.

When “Celebran” Feels More Natural

Use celebran when you’re not narrating the action second by second. It fits plans, traditions, and “this is what’s happening” statements.

• Celebran su aniversario hoy.
• Celebran una boda este fin de semana.
• Celebran la Navidad.
• Celebran el Año Nuevo con la familia.

In a lot of everyday Spanish, the simple present is the default. That’s why celebran can sound more relaxed than the progressive when you’re talking about the event as a whole.

Choose The Verb That Matches The Moment

Spanish gives you a few strong verb choices. The best one depends on the tone you want: party vibe, neutral, or ceremonial.

“Celebrar” As The All-Purpose Choice

Celebrar is the safest, widest option. The RAE dictionary entry for “celebrar” shows that it covers festive acts and formal acts, so it’s the verb that travels well across contexts.

“Festejar” When It’s Clearly A Party

Festejar leans into the party feel. If you picture dancing, drinks, loud laughter, or a big group toast, festejar can fit nicely.

• Están festejando.
• Están festejando la victoria.
• Van a festejar esta noche.

“Conmemorar” For Remembrance And Ceremony

Conmemorar is a good pick for anniversaries, memorial dates, and formal acts of remembrance. It can sound stiff for a casual birthday dinner, so save it for the occasions where the tone calls for it.

A Quick Note On “Celebrar” With Sad Events

You may hear people avoid celebrar for sad news. Still, the word can be used beyond happy occasions in standard Spanish. FundéuRAE explains that point in “celebrar no es solo ‘festejar’”, which is handy when you’re writing and want to be precise.

Natural Phrases People Actually Use

Most of the time, you won’t say “They are celebrating” alone. You’ll add what they’re celebrating, why, or where. These patterns keep your Spanish moving.

Right-Now Lines

• Están celebrando.
• Están celebrando el cumpleaños de Ana.
• Están celebrando que todo salió bien.
• Están celebrando en el restaurante.
• Están de fiesta. (They’re partying / celebrating.)

Plan Or Situation Lines

• Celebran hoy.
• Celebran su ascenso.
• Celebran la llegada del bebé.
• Celebran con la familia.

Short, Text-Message Style

• Andan celebrando. (They’re out celebrating.)
• Hoy celebran. (Today they celebrate / they’re celebrating.)
• Están celebrándolo. (They’re celebrating it.)

That last one, celebrándolo, is useful when the “what” is already known in the conversation.

Small Mistakes That Can Make You Sound “Translated”

These are the slips that show up again and again. Fixing them gives you a clean, natural line.

Using “Ser” In The Progressive

To say “They’re celebrating” as an action in progress, Spanish uses estar: están celebrando. Son celebrando doesn’t work.

Using The Progressive For Every Case

English leans on “-ing” a lot. Spanish uses it too, but it doesn’t need it in every sentence. If you keep saying están celebrando for plans and traditions, your Spanish can sound like constant live commentary. Swap to celebran for scheduled events and general statements.

Leaving Out The Occasion

“They’re celebrating” can feel incomplete without the reason. Add it when you can:

• Están celebrando su graduación.
• Celebran que ya terminaron.
• Celebran el aniversario de la empresa.

Table 1: Best Spanish Choices By Situation

This table helps you pick a phrase fast without getting stuck in grammar mode.

Situation	Natural Spanish	Best Use
Action in progress	Están celebrando	You’re describing what’s happening right now
Planned event today	Celebran hoy	You mean the event on the schedule
Tradition or routine	Celebran la Navidad	You mean a repeated practice
Party vibe	Están festejando	It’s clearly a party scene
Casual “party” tone	Están de fiesta	Short, punchy, spoken style
Remembrance tone	Conmemoran el aniversario	Ceremony, memorial date, formal act
Formal ceremony wording	Celebran la boda	Official or written-style phrasing
Public reaction	La gente lo celebra	Applause, praise, shared excitement
Noun-based phrasing	Hay una celebración	You want to name the event as a “celebration”

Quick Grammar You’ll Use A Lot

You don’t need a full conjugation chart to say this well. You need a few high-frequency forms that show up in speaking, texting, and short descriptions.

Present Simple

• Ellos celebran.
• Ellas celebran.
• Ustedes celebran.

Present Progressive

• Están celebrando.
• Están festejando.

Past

• Celebraron. (They celebrated.)
• Estuvieron celebrando. (They were celebrating.)

Near-Future Plan

• Van a celebrar.
• Van a festejar.

When you’re writing event notices, you may also see the impersonal style with se: Se celebra / Se celebran. It’s common in posters and announcements, and it keeps the focus on the event.

Use Nouns When You Don’t Want A Verb

Sometimes the cleanest Spanish doesn’t translate “they are celebrating” at all. It names the event instead.

• Hay una celebración. (There’s a celebration.)
• Es una fiesta. (It’s a party.)
• Están en una celebración familiar. (They’re at a family celebration.)

If you want a solid definition for the noun, the RAE entry for “celebración” connects it to the act of celebrating and also to applause or acclaim, which explains why the noun can show up in praise contexts too.

Regional Notes That Help You Sound Natural

Spanish varies by country, so you’ll hear different favorite phrases. The core options still work across regions, so start there. Then add these small notes:

• “Están de fiesta” is widely understood and common in casual speech.
• “Festejar” is common in many Latin American countries and sounds party-forward.
• “Celebrar” works everywhere and fits both casual and formal contexts.

If you’re unsure which word a friend prefers, stick with celebrar. It’s the safest bet across regions.

Table 2: Build Clean Sentences Fast

Pick one item from each column and you’ll get a smooth sentence in seconds.

Starter	Occasion	Extra Detail
Están celebrando	un cumpleaños	en casa
Están festejando	la victoria	con el equipo
Celebran	su aniversario	hoy
Celebran	la graduación	con la familia
Conmemoran	el aniversario	con un acto
Se celebra	la ceremonia	a las seis
Hay una celebración	por el ascenso	en la oficina

A Mini Checklist Before You Say It

If you freeze when you’re about to speak, run this quick check.

1. Is it happening right now? Say están celebrando.
2. Is it a plan, a date, or a tradition? Say celebran.
3. Is it a party scene? Say están de fiesta or están festejando.
4. Is it a memorial-style date? Say conmemoran.
5. Can you add the reason? Add the occasion or a que clause.

Once those switches feel automatic, you’ll stop translating word by word. You’ll start choosing Spanish that matches the moment.