celesta

See also: Celesta and célesta

English

a celesta or celeste

Alternative forms

• celeste

Etymology

Etymology tree

French célestabor.

English celesta

Borrowed from French célesta.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /səˈlɛstə/, /t͡ʃəˈlɛstə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛstə

Noun

celesta (plural celestas)

1. (music) A musical instrument consisting principally of a set of graduated steel plates struck with hammers that are activated by a keyboard.

   Synonym: celeste

Derived terms

• celestist

Translations

musical instrument

• Armenian: չելեստա (hy) (čʻelesta)
• Basque: zelesta
• Bulgarian: челеста (čelesta)
• Catalan: celesta (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鋼片琴 / 钢片琴 (zh) (gāngpiànqín)

• Finnish: celesta (fi)
• French: célesta (fr) m
• German: Celesta (de) f
• Greek: τσελέστα (tselésta)
• Irish: ceileiste f
• Italian: celesta f
• Japanese: チェレスタ
• Korean: 첼레스타 (chelleseuta)
• Occitan: celeste
• Polish: czelesta (pl)
• Portuguese: celesta (pt) f
• Romanian: celestă (ro)
• Russian: челе́ста (ru) f (čelésta)
• Slovak: čelesta
• Slovene: čelesta
• Spanish: celesta (es)
• Swedish: celesta (sv)
• Ukrainian: челеста (čelesta)

Further reading

• celesta on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Casteel, Escatel, Lecates, Salcete, acelets

Dutch

Alternative forms

• celeste

Etymology

Borrowed from French célesta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʃeːˈlɛs.taː/, /seːˈlɛs.taː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ce‧les‧ta

Noun

celesta f (plural celesta's, no diminutive)

1. celesta (musical pipe instrument)

Finnish

Etymology

From French célesta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʃelestɑ/, [ˈt̪ʃe̞le̞s̠tɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -elestɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ce‧les‧ta
• Hyphenation^(key): ce‧les‧ta

Noun

celesta

1. (music) celesta (instrument)

Declension

Inflection of celesta (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)
nominative		celesta	celestat
genitive		celestan	celestoiden celestoitten celestojen
partitive		celestaa	celestoita celestoja
illative		celestaan	celestoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		celesta	celestat
accusative	nom.	celesta	celestat
	gen.	celestan
genitive		celestan	celestoiden celestoitten celestojen celestain rare
partitive		celestaa	celestoita celestoja
inessive		celestassa	celestoissa
elative		celestasta	celestoista
illative		celestaan	celestoihin
adessive		celestalla	celestoilla
ablative		celestalta	celestoilta
allative		celestalle	celestoille
essive		celestana	celestoina
translative		celestaksi	celestoiksi
abessive		celestatta	celestoitta
instructive		—	celestoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of celesta (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative celestani celestani accusative nom. celestani celestani gen. celestani genitive celestani celestoideni celestoitteni celestojeni celestaini rare partitive celestaani celestoitani celestojani inessive celestassani celestoissani elative celestastani celestoistani illative celestaani celestoihini adessive celestallani celestoillani ablative celestaltani celestoiltani allative celestalleni celestoilleni essive celestanani celestoinani translative celestakseni celestoikseni abessive celestattani celestoittani instructive — — comitative — celestoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative celestasi celestasi accusative nom. celestasi celestasi gen. celestasi genitive celestasi celestoidesi celestoittesi celestojesi celestaisi rare partitive celestaasi celestoitasi celestojasi inessive celestassasi celestoissasi elative celestastasi celestoistasi illative celestaasi celestoihisi adessive celestallasi celestoillasi ablative celestaltasi celestoiltasi allative celestallesi celestoillesi essive celestanasi celestoinasi translative celestaksesi celestoiksesi abessive celestattasi celestoittasi instructive — — comitative — celestoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative celestamme celestamme accusative nom. celestamme celestamme gen. celestamme genitive celestamme celestoidemme celestoittemme celestojemme celestaimme rare partitive celestaamme celestoitamme celestojamme inessive celestassamme celestoissamme elative celestastamme celestoistamme illative celestaamme celestoihimme adessive celestallamme celestoillamme ablative celestaltamme celestoiltamme allative celestallemme celestoillemme essive celestanamme celestoinamme translative celestaksemme celestoiksemme abessive celestattamme celestoittamme instructive — — comitative — celestoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative celestanne celestanne accusative nom. celestanne celestanne gen. celestanne genitive celestanne celestoidenne celestoittenne celestojenne celestainne rare partitive celestaanne celestoitanne celestojanne inessive celestassanne celestoissanne elative celestastanne celestoistanne illative celestaanne celestoihinne adessive celestallanne celestoillanne ablative celestaltanne celestoiltanne allative celestallenne celestoillenne essive celestananne celestoinanne translative celestaksenne celestoiksenne abessive celestattanne celestoittanne instructive — — comitative — celestoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative celestansa celestansa accusative nom. celestansa celestansa gen. celestansa genitive celestansa celestoidensa celestoittensa celestojensa celestainsa rare partitive celestaansa celestoitaan celestojaan celestoitansa celestojansa inessive celestassaan celestassansa celestoissaan celestoissansa elative celestastaan celestastansa celestoistaan celestoistansa illative celestaansa celestoihinsa adessive celestallaan celestallansa celestoillaan celestoillansa ablative celestaltaan celestaltansa celestoiltaan celestoiltansa allative celestalleen celestallensa celestoilleen celestoillensa essive celestanaan celestanansa celestoinaan celestoinansa translative celestakseen celestaksensa celestoikseen celestoiksensa abessive celestattaan celestattansa celestoittaan celestoittansa instructive — — comitative — celestoineen celestoinensa

Italian

Noun

celesta f (plural celeste)

1. (music) celesta

   Synonym: tipofono

Anagrams

• Alceste, celaste

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /seˈlɛs.tɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /seˈlɛs.tɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /seˈlɛʃ.tɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /seˈlɛs.ta/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sɨˈlɛʃ.tɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɛstɐ
• Hyphenation: ce‧les‧ta

Noun

celesta f (plural celestas)

1. (music) celesta (an idiophone similar to a small piano)

Further reading

• “celesta”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “celesta”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French célesta. First attested in 1905.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θeˈlesta/ [θeˈles.t̪a] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /seˈlesta/ [seˈles.t̪a] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -esta
• Syllabification: ce‧les‧ta

Noun

celesta f (plural celestas)

1. (music) celesta (an idiophone similar to a small piano) [from early 20th c.]

Further reading

• “celesta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “celesta”, in Diccionario histórico de la lengua española [Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], launched 2013, →ISSN