🎃 Halloween

⏱ 10 min read

In this lesson, you'll learn useful English vocabulary and everyday expressions for talking about Halloween. You'll learn words for costumes, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, decorations, and popular Halloween traditions. Each English word and phrase includes translations in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

🟢 Basic Halloween Vocabulary

🎃 Halloween

🇪🇸 Spanish: Halloween
🇫🇷 French: Halloween
🇩🇪 German: Halloween
🇮🇹 Italian: Halloween
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Halloween
🥸 Costume

🇪🇸 Spanish: Disfraz
🇫🇷 French: Déguisement
🇩🇪 German: Kostüm
🇮🇹 Italian: Costume
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fantasia
🍬 Candy

🇪🇸 Spanish: Dulces
🇫🇷 French: Bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßigkeiten
🇮🇹 Italian: Caramelle
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Doces
🎃 Pumpkin

🇪🇸 Spanish: Calabaza
🇫🇷 French: Citrouille
🇩🇪 German: Kürbis
🇮🇹 Italian: Zucca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Abóbora
🎃 Jack-o'-lantern

🇪🇸 Spanish: Calabaza tallada
🇫🇷 French: Citrouille sculptée
🇩🇪 German: Kürbislaterne
🇮🇹 Italian: Zucca intagliata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Abóbora esculpida
🚪 Trick-or-treat

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Truco o trato?
🇫🇷 French: Des bonbons ou un sort !
🇩🇪 German: Süßes oder Saures!
🇮🇹 Italian: Dolcetto o scherzetto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Doces ou travessuras?

👻 Halloween Characters

👻 Ghost

🇪🇸 Spanish: Fantasma
🇫🇷 French: Fantôme
🇩🇪 German: Geist
🇮🇹 Italian: Fantasma
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fantasma
🧙 Witch

🇪🇸 Spanish: Bruja
🇫🇷 French: Sorcière
🇩🇪 German: Hexe
🇮🇹 Italian: Strega
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bruxa
🧛 Vampire

🇪🇸 Spanish: Vampiro
🇫🇷 French: Vampire
🇩🇪 German: Vampir
🇮🇹 Italian: Vampiro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vampiro
🧟 Zombie

🇪🇸 Spanish: Zombi
🇫🇷 French: Zombie
🇩🇪 German: Zombie
🇮🇹 Italian: Zombie
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Zumbi
💀 Skeleton

🇪🇸 Spanish: Esqueleto
🇫🇷 French: Squelette
🇩🇪 German: Skelett
🇮🇹 Italian: Scheletro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Esqueleto
👹 Monster

🇪🇸 Spanish: Monstruo
🇫🇷 French: Monstre
🇩🇪 German: Monster
🇮🇹 Italian: Mostro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Monstro

🎉 Halloween Activities

🥸 Wear a costume

🇪🇸 Spanish: Llevar un disfraz
🇫🇷 French: Porter un déguisement
🇩🇪 German: Ein Kostüm tragen
🇮🇹 Italian: Indossare un costume
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Usar uma fantasia
🎃 Carve a pumpkin

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tallar una calabaza
🇫🇷 French: Sculpter une citrouille
🇩🇪 German: Einen Kürbis schnitzen
🇮🇹 Italian: Intagliare una zucca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Esculpir uma abóbora
🚪 Go trick-or-treating

🇪🇸 Spanish: Ir a pedir dulces
🇫🇷 French: Aller faire la tournée des bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßes oder Saures sammeln gehen
🇮🇹 Italian: Andare a fare dolcetto o scherzetto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ir pedir doces
🏠 Decorate the house

🇪🇸 Spanish: Decorar la casa
🇫🇷 French: Décorer la maison
🇩🇪 German: Das Haus dekorieren
🇮🇹 Italian: Decorare la casa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Decorar a casa
🍬 Give out candy

🇪🇸 Spanish: Repartir dulces
🇫🇷 French: Distribuer des bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßigkeiten verteilen
🇮🇹 Italian: Distribuire caramelle
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Distribuir doces
🎉 Go to a Halloween party

🇪🇸 Spanish: Ir a una fiesta de Halloween
🇫🇷 French: Aller à une fête d'Halloween
🇩🇪 German: Auf eine Halloween-Party gehen
🇮🇹 Italian: Andare a una festa di Halloween
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ir a uma festa de Halloween

🕸️ Halloween Decorations & Treats

🏚️ Haunted house

🇪🇸 Spanish: Casa embrujada
🇫🇷 French: Maison hantée
🇩🇪 German: Spukhaus
🇮🇹 Italian: Casa infestata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Casa assombrada
🕸️ Spider web

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tela de araña
🇫🇷 French: Toile d'araignée
🇩🇪 German: Spinnennetz
🇮🇹 Italian: Ragnatela
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Teia de aranha
🦇 Bat

🇪🇸 Spanish: Murciélago
🇫🇷 French: Chauve-souris
🇩🇪 German: Fledermaus
🇮🇹 Italian: Pipistrello
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Morcego
🐈‍⬛ Black cat

🇪🇸 Spanish: Gato negro
🇫🇷 French: Chat noir
🇩🇪 German: Schwarze Katze
🇮🇹 Italian: Gatto nero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Gato preto
🍫 Chocolate

🇪🇸 Spanish: Chocolate
🇫🇷 French: Chocolat
🇩🇪 German: Schokolade
🇮🇹 Italian: Cioccolato
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chocolate
🧺 Candy bucket

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cubo para dulces
🇫🇷 French: Seau à bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßigkeiteneimer
🇮🇹 Italian: Secchiello per dolci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Balde para doces

💬 Common Halloween Phrases

🎃 Happy Halloween!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Feliz Halloween!
🇫🇷 French: Joyeux Halloween !
🇩🇪 German: Frohes Halloween!
🇮🇹 Italian: Buon Halloween!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Feliz Halloween!
🍬 Trick or treat!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Truco o trato?
🇫🇷 French: Des bonbons ou un sort !
🇩🇪 German: Süßes oder Saures!
🇮🇹 Italian: Dolcetto o scherzetto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Doces ou travessuras?
🥸 I love your costume!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Me encanta tu disfraz!
🇫🇷 French: J'adore ton déguisement !
🇩🇪 German: Ich liebe dein Kostüm!
🇮🇹 Italian: Adoro il tuo costume!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Adorei sua fantasia!
👻 That's spooky!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Qué espeluznante!
🇫🇷 French: C'est effrayant !
🇩🇪 German: Das ist gruselig!
🇮🇹 Italian: Che paura!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Que assustador!
🍬 Here's some candy.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Aquí tienes unos dulces.
🇫🇷 French: Voilà des bonbons.
🇩🇪 German: Hier sind ein paar Süßigkeiten.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ecco delle caramelle.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Aqui estão alguns doces.
🎉 Have fun!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Diviértete!
🇫🇷 French: Amuse-toi !
🇩🇪 German: Viel Spaß!
🇮🇹 Italian: Divertiti!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Divirta-se!

🇺🇸🇬🇧 Halloween in American & British English

🍬 Candy (US) → Sweets (UK)

Both words mean the same thing. Candy is the usual word in American English, while sweets is more common in British English.
🚪 Trick-or-treating

Children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and some other countries dress up in costumes and go from house to house saying "Trick or treat!" People usually give them candy or other small treats.
🎃 Jack-o'-lantern

A carved pumpkin with a candle or light inside is called a jack-o'-lantern. Decorating pumpkins is one of the best-known Halloween traditions.

🌎 Cultural Note

Halloween is celebrated every year on October 31 in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many other countries. Children often wear costumes and go trick-or-treating, while families decorate their homes with pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and other Halloween decorations.

Many adults also celebrate by attending costume parties, visiting haunted houses, watching scary movies, or decorating their homes.

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is celebrated around the same time in Mexico and by many Mexican-American communities in the United States. Although both holidays include skeleton imagery, Day of the Dead is a separate cultural tradition that honors and remembers loved ones who have died.

❓ Useful Halloween Questions

🎃 What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿De qué te vas a disfrazar para Halloween?
🇫🇷 French: En quoi vas-tu te déguiser pour Halloween ?
🇩🇪 German: Als was verkleidest du dich zu Halloween?
🇮🇹 Italian: Da cosa ti travestirai per Halloween?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: De que você vai se fantasiar no Halloween?
👻 Are you going trick-or-treating?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Vas a pedir dulces en Halloween?
🇫🇷 French: Vas-tu faire la tournée des bonbons ?
🇩🇪 German: Gehst du Süßes oder Saures sammeln?
🇮🇹 Italian: Andrai a fare dolcetto o scherzetto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você vai pedir doces no Halloween?
🎉 Are you going to a Halloween party?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Vas a una fiesta de Halloween?
🇫🇷 French: Vas-tu à une fête d'Halloween ?
🇩🇪 German: Gehst du zu einer Halloween-Party?
🇮🇹 Italian: Vai a una festa di Halloween?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você vai a uma festa de Halloween?
🍬 What's your favorite Halloween candy?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuál es tu dulce favorito de Halloween?
🇫🇷 French: Quel est ton bonbon préféré d'Halloween ?
🇩🇪 German: Was ist deine Lieblingssüßigkeit zu Halloween?
🇮🇹 Italian: Qual è la tua caramella preferita di Halloween?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Qual é o seu doce favorito de Halloween?
🎃 Did you carve a pumpkin?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Tallaste una calabaza?
🇫🇷 French: As-tu sculpté une citrouille ?
🇩🇪 German: Hast du einen Kürbis geschnitzt?
🇮🇹 Italian: Hai intagliato una zucca?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você esculpiu uma abóbora?
👻 Do you like scary movies?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Te gustan las películas de miedo?
🇫🇷 French: Aimes-tu les films d'horreur ?
🇩🇪 German: Magst du Horrorfilme?
🇮🇹 Italian: Ti piacciono i film horror?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você gosta de filmes de terror?

💬 Everyday Conversation

Getting ready for Halloween

A: What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
B: I'm going as a vampire.
A: That sounds fun! Are you going trick-or-treating?
B: Yes, and we're carving pumpkins first.

🇪🇸 ¿De qué te vas a disfrazar para Halloween?
Voy a disfrazarme de vampiro.
¡Suena divertido! ¿Vas a pedir dulces?
Sí, y primero vamos a tallar calabazas.

📝 Example Sentences

🎃 We carved a pumpkin yesterday.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tallamos una calabaza ayer.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons sculpté une citrouille hier.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben gestern einen Kürbis geschnitzt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo intagliato una zucca ieri.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Nós esculpimos uma abóbora ontem.
🍬 The children collected lots of candy.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Los niños recogieron muchos dulces.
🇫🇷 French: Les enfants ont reçu beaucoup de bonbons.
🇩🇪 German: Die Kinder haben viele Süßigkeiten gesammelt.
🇮🇹 Italian: I bambini hanno raccolto tante caramelle.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: As crianças ganharam muitos doces.
👻 My costume was very scary.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Mi disfraz daba mucho miedo.
🇫🇷 French: Mon costume faisait très peur.
🇩🇪 German: Mein Kostüm war sehr gruselig.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il mio costume faceva molta paura.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Minha fantasia era muito assustadora.
🏚️ We visited a haunted house.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Visitamos una casa embrujada.
🇫🇷 French: Nous avons visité une maison hantée.
🇩🇪 German: Wir haben ein Spukhaus besucht.
🇮🇹 Italian: Abbiamo visitato una casa infestata.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Visitamos uma casa assombrada.
🎉 Everyone had a great time at the Halloween party.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Todos se divirtieron mucho en la fiesta de Halloween.
🇫🇷 French: Tout le monde s'est bien amusé à la fête d'Halloween.
🇩🇪 German: Alle hatten viel Spaß auf der Halloween-Party.
🇮🇹 Italian: Tutti si sono divertiti alla festa di Halloween.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Todos se divertiram muito na festa de Halloween.
🕸️ The house is decorated with pumpkins and spider webs.

🇪🇸 Spanish: La casa está decorada con calabazas y telas de araña.
🇫🇷 French: La maison est décorée avec des citrouilles et des toiles d'araignée.
🇩🇪 German: Das Haus ist mit Kürbissen und Spinnennetzen dekoriert.
🇮🇹 Italian: La casa è decorata con zucche e ragnatele.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A casa está decorada com abóboras e teias de aranha.

🏆 Final Practice

Try saying each English phrase before pressing play.

  • Happy Halloween!
  • Trick or treat!
  • What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
  • I'm going as a vampire.
  • We carved a pumpkin yesterday.
  • The children collected lots of candy.