🎃 Halloween

⏱ 14 min read

In this lesson you will learn useful everyday English vocabulary and expressions for talking about Halloween, costumes, trick-or-treating, pumpkins, decorations, and popular Halloween traditions. Each English word or phrase includes a simple meaning plus translations in several languages.

🟢 Basic Halloween Vocabulary

🎃 Halloween
a holiday on October 31 with costumes and candy
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Halloween
🇫🇷 French: Halloween
🇩🇪 German: Halloween
🇮🇹 Italian: Halloween
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Halloween
🥸 Costume
special clothes worn to look like someone or something else
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Disfraz
🇫🇷 French: Déguisement
🇩🇪 German: Kostüm
🇮🇹 Italian: Costume
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fantasia
🍬 Candy
sweet treats given out on Halloween
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Dulces
🇫🇷 French: Bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßigkeiten
🇮🇹 Italian: Caramelle
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Doces
🎃 Pumpkin
a large orange fruit often carved for Halloween
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Calabaza
🇫🇷 French: Citrouille
🇩🇪 German: Kürbis
🇮🇹 Italian: Zucca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Abóbora
🎃 Jack-o'-lantern
a pumpkin with a face cut into it and a light inside
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Calabaza tallada
🇫🇷 French: Citrouille sculptée
🇩🇪 German: Kürbislaterne
🇮🇹 Italian: Zucca intagliata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Abóbora esculpida
🚪 Trick-or-treat
the phrase children say when asking for candy
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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
a spirit, often shown as a white sheet
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Fantasma
🇫🇷 French: Fantôme
🇩🇪 German: Geist
🇮🇹 Italian: Fantasma
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fantasma
🧙 Witch
a character with a hat and often a broom
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Bruja
🇫🇷 French: Sorcière
🇩🇪 German: Hexe
🇮🇹 Italian: Strega
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bruxa
🧛 Vampire
a costume character with long teeth
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Vampiro
🇫🇷 French: Vampire
🇩🇪 German: Vampir
🇮🇹 Italian: Vampiro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vampiro
🧟 Zombie
a walking dead character in stories and costumes
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Zombi
🇫🇷 French: Zombie
🇩🇪 German: Zombie
🇮🇹 Italian: Zombie
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Zumbi
💀 Skeleton
the bones of a body, often used as a decoration
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Esqueleto
🇫🇷 French: Squelette
🇩🇪 German: Skelett
🇮🇹 Italian: Scheletro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Esqueleto
👹 Monster
a scary imaginary creature
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Monstruo
🇫🇷 French: Monstre
🇩🇪 German: Monster
🇮🇹 Italian: Mostro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Monstro

🎉 Halloween Activities

🥸 Wear a costume
to put on special Halloween clothes
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Llevar un disfraz
🇫🇷 French: Porter un déguisement
🇩🇪 German: Ein Kostüm tragen
🇮🇹 Italian: Indossare un costume
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Usar uma fantasia
🎃 Carve a pumpkin
to cut a face into a pumpkin
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tallar una calabaza
🇫🇷 French: Sculpter une citrouille
🇩🇪 German: Einen Kürbis schnitzen
🇮🇹 Italian: Intagliare una zucca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Esculpir uma abóbora
🚪 Go trick-or-treating
to visit houses in costume and ask for candy
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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
to put Halloween items around the home
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Decorar la casa
🇫🇷 French: Décorer la maison
🇩🇪 German: Das Haus dekorieren
🇮🇹 Italian: Decorare la casa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Decorar a casa
🍬 Give out candy
to hand sweets to children at the door
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Repartir dulces
🇫🇷 French: Distribuer des bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßigkeiten verteilen
🇮🇹 Italian: Distribuire caramelle
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Distribuir doces
🎉 Go to a Halloween party
to attend a costume celebration
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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
a house made to look scary for visitors
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Casa embrujada
🇫🇷 French: Maison hantée
🇩🇪 German: Spukhaus
🇮🇹 Italian: Casa infestata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Casa assombrada
🕸️ Spider web
a net made by a spider, used as decoration
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tela de araña
🇫🇷 French: Toile d'araignée
🇩🇪 German: Spinnennetz
🇮🇹 Italian: Ragnatela
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Teia de aranha
🦇 Bat
a flying animal often used in Halloween decor
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Murciélago
🇫🇷 French: Chauve-souris
🇩🇪 German: Fledermaus
🇮🇹 Italian: Pipistrello
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Morcego
🐈‍⬛ Black cat
a dark-colored cat, a common Halloween symbol
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Gato negro
🇫🇷 French: Chat noir
🇩🇪 German: Schwarze Katze
🇮🇹 Italian: Gatto nero
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Gato preto
🍫 Chocolate
a popular sweet treat given on Halloween
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Chocolate
🇫🇷 French: Chocolat
🇩🇪 German: Schokolade
🇮🇹 Italian: Cioccolato
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Chocolate
🧺 Candy bucket
a container children use to collect sweets
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cubo para dulces
🇫🇷 French: Seau à bonbons
🇩🇪 German: Süßigkeiteneimer
🇮🇹 Italian: Secchiello per dolci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Balde para doces

💬 Common Halloween Phrases

🎃 Happy Halloween!
a greeting used on October 31
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Feliz Halloween!
🇫🇷 French: Joyeux Halloween !
🇩🇪 German: Frohes Halloween!
🇮🇹 Italian: Buon Halloween!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Feliz Halloween!
🍬 Trick or treat!
what children say when they ask for candy
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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!
a compliment about someone's Halloween clothes
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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!
that looks or feels a little scary
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Qué espeluznante!
🇫🇷 French: C'est effrayant !
🇩🇪 German: Das ist gruselig!
🇮🇹 Italian: Che paura!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Que assustador!
🍬 Here's some candy.
giving sweets to a visitor
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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!
wishing someone a good time
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Diviértete!
🇫🇷 French: Amuse-toi !
🇩🇪 German: Viel Spaß!
🇮🇹 Italian: Divertiti!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Divirta-se!

🇺🇸🇬🇧 Halloween in American & British English

🍬 Candy (US) → Sweets (UK)
two common words for the same treats
Show translationsHide translationsBoth words mean the same thing. Candy is the usual word in American English, while sweets is more common in British English.
🚪 Trick-or-treating
going from house to house in costume for candy
Show translationsHide translationsChildren 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 light inside
Show translationsHide translationsA 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?
asking which costume someone will wear
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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?
asking if someone will go out for candy
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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?
asking if someone will attend a costume party
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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?
asking which sweet treat someone likes most
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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?
asking if someone cut a face into a pumpkin
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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?
asking if someone enjoys horror films
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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
talking about costumes and plans for the night
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.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿De qué te vas a disfrazar para Halloween?
🇪🇸 B: Voy a disfrazarme de vampiro.
🇪🇸 A: ¡Suena divertido! ¿Vas a pedir dulces?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, y primero vamos a tallar calabazas.

🇫🇷 A: En quoi vas-tu te déguiser pour Halloween ?
🇫🇷 B: Je vais me déguiser en vampire.
🇫🇷 A: Ça a l'air amusant ! Vas-tu faire la tournée des bonbons ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, et nous sculptons d'abord des citrouilles.

🇩🇪 A: Als was verkleidest du dich zu Halloween?
🇩🇪 B: Ich gehe als Vampir.
🇩🇪 A: Das klingt lustig! Gehst du Süßes oder Saures sammeln?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, und zuerst schnitzen wir Kürbisse.

🇮🇹 A: Da cosa ti travestirai per Halloween?
🇮🇹 B: Vado vestito da vampiro.
🇮🇹 A: Sembra divertente! Andrai a fare dolcetto o scherzetto?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, e prima intagliamo le zucche.

🇵🇹 A: De que você vai se fantasiar no Halloween?
🇵🇹 B: Vou de vampiro.
🇵🇹 A: Que legal! Você vai pedir doces?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, e primeiro vamos esculpir abóboras.

📝 Example Sentences

🎃 We carved a pumpkin yesterday.
we cut a face into a pumpkin the day before
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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.
they received many sweets while trick-or-treating
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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.
the outfit looked frightening
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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.
we went through a scary decorated house
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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.
the costume party was fun for all
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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.
Halloween items are placed around the home
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 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

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the word that fits.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%