gala
Loading your saved state.
gala
A festive and elegant evening event, often organized for a special occasion such as an awards ceremony or a charity event.
Zur Filmpremiere wurde eine große Gala mit vielen Stars veranstaltet.
A large gala with many stars was held for the film premiere.
formal dress
Refers to especially festive clothing worn for a ceremonial occasion. Mostly used in the phrase 'in Gala' (in formal dress).
Die Offiziere erschienen in Gala zur Parade.
The officers appeared in formal dress for the parade.
You can recognize the meaning from the usage: if the word appears with an article ('eine/die Gala', a/the gala), it refers to the festive event. The fixed phrase 'in Gala' (in formal dress), without an article, always refers to festive clothing.
Die jährliche Spendengala sammelt Geld für wohltätige Zwecke.
The annual charity gala raises money for charitable causes.
When 'Gala' (gala) refers to an event, it is often combined with verbs like 'veranstalten' (to hold/organize), 'besuchen' (to attend), 'stattfinden' (to take place), or 'geben' (to give/hold). Compounds such as 'Spendengala' (charity gala) or 'Benefizgala' (benefit gala) are also common.
Der Fernsehsender veranstaltet jedes Jahr eine große Gala.
The TV station holds a big gala every year.
The meaning 'festliche Kleidung' (formal dress) is used almost exclusively in the fixed phrase 'in Gala' (in formal dress). It usually describes wearing a dress uniform or official evening attire.
Die Offiziere traten zum Appell in Gala an.
The officers reported for roll call in formal dress.
ball
Both words can refer to an elegant evening event. However, a Ball presupposes that dancing is a central part of the occasion, whereas a Gala is generally a festive evening event and can also take place without dancing. Use “Ball” when dancing is involved and “Gala” for another kind of festive program.
Bei der eleganten Gala verfolgten die Gäste eine Preisverleihung.
At the elegant gala, the guests watched an awards ceremony.
Bei dem eleganten Ball tanzten die Gäste bis spät in die Nacht.
At the elegant ball, the guests danced until late at night.
