German for Festivals: Describing Events Like a Tomato Festival
Learn to talk about festivals in German, focusing on events and activities. Build sentences with 'wir haben' and 'es gibt' to describe what happens at a festival.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you want to describe a festival in German, you often need to say what events take place. Unlike customs, which are traditional practices, festivals are defined by specific activities and happenings. In this lesson, you'll learn how to say things like 'We have a tomato festival' and describe what happens there. You'll use common phrases with 'wir haben' (we have) and 'es gibt' (there is/are), and learn vocabulary for festival events. By the end, you'll be able to talk about any festival, from a tomato festival to a music festival, in clear, intermediate German.
By the end, you can…
- describe a festival and its events using 'wir haben' and 'es gibt'.
- ask and answer questions about what happens at a festival.
- use correct word order and verb conjugation when talking about festivals.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Wir haben ein Tomatenfest.
We have a tomato festival.
veer HAH-ben ine toh-MAH-ten-fest
Use this to state that your town or group holds a festival. 'Wir haben' is common in informal and semi-formal contexts.
Es gibt eine Tomatenschlacht.
There is a tomato fight.
es geebt INE-uh toh-MAH-ten-shlakht
'Es gibt' introduces an event or activity. 'Tomatenschlacht' literally means 'tomato battle'.
Beim Fest gibt es viele Veranstaltungen.
At the festival, there are many events.
bime fest geebt es FEE-luh fair-AN-shtal-toong-en
Use 'beim Fest' to mean 'at the festival'. 'Veranstaltungen' are organized events.
Was passiert auf dem Festival?
What happens at the festival?
vas pas-EERT ouf dem fes-tee-VAHL
This question asks about the events. 'Auf dem Festival' is a common way to say 'at the festival'.
Wir feiern mit Musik und Tanz.
We celebrate with music and dance.
veer FY-ern mit moo-ZEEK oont tants
Use 'wir feiern' to describe how you celebrate. This is a general statement about the festival atmosphere.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To describe what events a festival has, use 'wir haben' + accusative noun, or 'es gibt' + accusative noun. For example: 'Wir haben ein Weinfest.' (We have a wine festival.) 'Es gibt ein Feuerwerk.' (There is a fireworks display.) Note that 'ein' changes to 'einen' in the accusative for masculine nouns: 'Wir haben einen Umzug.' (We have a parade.) For plural nouns, use 'es gibt' with the plural noun: 'Es gibt viele Stände.' (There are many stalls.)
When to use it
Use 'wir haben' when you are part of the group organizing or hosting the festival, or when you're stating a fact about your community. Use 'es gibt' to list events or features, similar to 'there is/are' in English. For example, when telling a friend about your town's festival: 'Wir haben ein Tomatenfest. Es gibt eine Tomatenschlacht und ein Konzert.' (We have a tomato festival. There is a tomato fight and a concert.) In more formal writing, you might use 'stattfinden' (to take place): 'Das Fest findet im August statt.' (The festival takes place in August.)
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Was habt ihr für Feste in eurer Stadt?
What festivals do you have in your city?vas hahpt eer fewer FES-tuh in OY-rer shtatWir haben ein Tomatenfest. Es gibt eine große Tomatenschlacht.
We have a tomato festival. There is a big tomato fight.veer HAH-ben ine toh-MAH-ten-fest. es geebt INE-uh GROH-suh toh-MAH-ten-shlakhtDas klingt lustig! Was passiert noch?
That sounds fun! What else happens?das klingt LOOS-tikh! vas pas-EERT nokhEs gibt auch Musik und einen Umzug.
There is also music and a parade.es geebt oukh moo-ZEEK oont INE-en OOM-tsookA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, many towns have traditional festivals like Oktoberfest or Karneval, but modern festivals often focus on specific themes, such as a tomato festival inspired by Spain's La Tomatina. When describing these, use 'Fest' for a general festival, and 'Festival' for larger, often music-oriented events. In Austria and Switzerland, 'Fest' is also common, but regional dialects may vary. For example, in Bavarian, you might hear 'Festl' as a diminutive. Always use standard German in formal contexts.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Wir haben ein Tomatenfest' but using 'es hat' instead of 'es gibt' for 'there is'.
Try this instead: In German, 'there is/are' is expressed with 'es gibt', not 'es hat'. 'Es hat' means 'it has'. For example, say 'Es gibt eine Tomatenschlacht', not 'Es hat eine Tomatenschlacht'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'We have a music festival' in German?
Show a sample answer
Wir haben ein Musikfest.
'Wir haben' is used for 'we have', and 'ein Musikfest' is the accusative neuter noun. Alternatively, 'Wir haben ein Musikfestival' is also correct, especially for a larger event.
2Translate: 'There is a parade and a concert.'
Show a sample answer
Es gibt einen Umzug und ein Konzert.
'Es gibt' takes the accusative. 'Umzug' is masculine, so 'einen Umzug'; 'Konzert' is neuter, so 'ein Konzert'. You could also say 'Es gibt einen Umzug und ein Konzert' in any order.
3Ask: 'What happens at the festival?'
Show a sample answer
Was passiert auf dem Festival?
'Was passiert' means 'what happens', and 'auf dem Festival' means 'at the festival'. You could also ask 'Was gibt es auf dem Festival?' (What is there at the festival?) with a slightly different nuance.
Use 'wir haben' to say what festival you have, and 'es gibt' to list events. Remember accusative case for articles: 'einen' for masculine, 'ein' for neuter, 'eine' for feminine.
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