How to say "festival" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 祭りまつりnounThe general word for a festival, especially a traditional Japanese one with stalls, processions and crowds; when you just mean a festival, this is the word you want.
- nounA loanword for festivals of the music, film and similar event kind; use it for those rather than for a traditional Japanese festival.
- 祭典さいてんnounA formal word for a festival as a grand, ceremonial occasion or large-scale public event; it sounds official rather than conversational.
- 祭事さいじnounA formal word for festivals and rites as ceremonial events; it leans toward the ritual side of 'festival' and is not the word for a lively local festival.
- 祭祀さいしnoun, suru verb, transitive verbReally a religious term for rites of worship and religious services; 'festival' is only a marginal sense here, so this is seldom the word you want for a festival.
「祭り」 is the general word for festivals, especially traditional Japanese ones; 「フェスティバル」 covers music and film events; 祭典 and 祭事 are formal terms for ceremonial festivals and rites; 祭祀 means religious worship rites rather than festivals.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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