How to say ‘cheers’ in 50 languages

By Kristin Conard On December 20, 2010 · 63 Comments

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Photo: Star512. Feature photo: dleithinger.

Cheers! Here’s to you! Bottom’s up! The clinking of glasses can help cement friendships and celebrate new ones – it’s an expression of goodwill and one that every traveler should know.

SO RAISE YOUR GLASS to the Matador editors, to the tourism bureaus, and to the hostels around the world that helped me put together our collection of how to say “Cheers!” in 50 languages.

*Remember to use these responsibly – in some countries, drinking is illegal. There may also be some regional and formality variations in pronunciation, but these should get the job done!

Photos left to right: Melody.loves.you, Bérenger ZYLA.

A-E

Language	Spelling	Phonetic Pronunciation
Afrikaans	Gesondheid	Ge-sund-hate
Albanian	Gëzuar	Geh-zoo-ah
Arabic (Egypt)	فى صحتك: (literally good luck)	Fe sahetek
Armenian (Western)	Կէնաձդ	Genatzt
Azerbaijani	Nuş olsun	Nush ohlsun
Bosnian	Živjeli	Zhee-vi-lee
Bulgarian	Наздраве	Naz-dra-vey
Burmese	Aung myin par say	Au-ng my-in par say
Catalan	Salut	Sah-lut
Chamorro (Guam)	Biba	Bih-bah
Chinese (Mandarin)	干杯 gān bēi	Gan bay
Croatian	Živjeli / Nazdravlje	Zhee-ve-lee / Naz-dra-vlee
Czech	Na zdravi	Naz-drah vi
Danish	Skål	Skoal
Dutch	Proost	Prohst
Estonian	Terviseks	Ter-vih-sex

Photos left to right: Rein Rache, nany mata..

F-M

Language	Spelling	Phonetic Pronunciation
Filipino/Tagalog	Mabuhay	Mah-boo-hay
Finnish	Kippis	Kip-piss
French	Santé / A la votre	Sahn-tay / Ah la vo-tre
Galician	Salud	Saw-lood
German	Prost / Zum wohl	Prohst / Tsum vohl
Greek	ΥΓΕΙΑ	Yamas
Hawaiian	Å’kålè ma’luna	Okole maluna
Hebrew	לחיים	L’chaim
Hungarian	Egészségedre (to your health) / Fenékig (until the bottom of the glass)	Egg-esh ay-ged-reh / Fehn-eh-keg
Icelandic	Skál	Sk-owl
Irish Gaelic	Sláinte	Slawn-cha
Italian	Salute / Cin cin	Saw-lutay / Chin chin
Japanese	乾杯 Kanpai (Dry the glass)	Kan-pie
Korean	건배	Gun bae
Latvian	Priekā / Prosit	Pree-eh-ka / Proh-sit
Lithuanian	į sveikatą	Ee sweh-kata
Macedonian	На здравје	Na zdravye
Mongolian	Эрүүл мэндийн төлөө / Tulgatsgaaya	ErUHl mehdiin toloo / Tul-gats-gAH-ya

Photos left to right: fihu, JMRosenfeld.

N-Z

Language	Spelling	Phonetic Pronunciation
Norwegian	Skål	Skawl
Polish	Na zdrowie	Naz-droh-vee-ay
Portuguese	Saúde	Saw-OO-de
Romanian	Noroc / Sanatate	No-rock / Sahn-atate
Russian	Будем здоровы/ На здоровье	Budem zdorovi/ Na zdorovie
Serbian	živeli	Zhee-ve-lee
Slovak	Na zdravie	Naz-drah-vee-ay
Slovenian	Na zdravje (literally on health)	Naz-drah-vee
Spanish	Salud	Sah-lud
Swedish	Skål	Skawl
Thai	Chok dee	Chok dee
Turkish	Şerefe	Sher-i-feh
Ukranian	будьмо	Boodmo
Vietnamese	Dô / Vô / Một hai ba, yo (one, two, three, yo)	Jou / / Dzo Moat hi bah, yo
Welsh	Iechyd da	Yeh-chid dah
Yiddish	Sei gesund	Say geh-sund

Know how to say “Cheers!” in a language that’s not on the list? Please leave a comment below!

Community Connection

Another handy phrase to know is How To Ask For One More Beer Please in 50 Languages.

Or check out the Top 10 Local Parties for ideas on where to get your international drink on. And if you need something to sip on the morning after a few too many rounds, try a regional classic with 20 Iconic and Unusual Hot Drinks Around The World.

About The Author

Kristin Conard

Kristin Conard is an editor at Matador Nights as well as a writing instructor in California. As a child, she wanted to be a librarian, because she thought that the librarian was the one who got to write all the books in the library. Her obsession with reading and writing has continued, and when she is not grading papers and lesson planning, she is working on a collection of essays and planning her next trip.

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Tia

Ofa atu – Tongan (The Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean)
Anya

It’s a common belief that in Russia we say “На здоровье”, but actually it’s only the phrase we teach the foreigners. I’d say we don’t use anything like “Cheers” at all, because everytime we raise our glasses we come up with a different (long and boring) toast.
So just don’t be misled

http://kristin5683.wordpress.com/ Kristin Conard

It’s what the Russian hostels told me!
Alex

Noooot exactly I’d say that the most polite and aristocratic way of saying “cheers” is “Vashe zdorovje”. Otherwise,Russians simply scream witty toasts, and not always long – that’s more about Georgians

http://www.hotelconnaught.com/ New Delhi Hotels

Cheers to all………
Pingback: The advantages of being bilingual - Hostel Management Forums
phil t

Another Polish phrase is “stol lat” (although I’m not sure about my spelling) which translates as “100 years”.
http://www.sophiesworld.net Sophie

Skål, everyone!
And… God jul ! (That’s Happy Christmas in Norwegian
http://www.theaussienomad.com Chris – The Aussie Nomad

now there is a list of foreign phrases I can use
derzu

we say “topa” in basque.
urte berri on!
Al Destacamento

Tagay is more commonly used as cheers in Filipino. Mabuhay is a greeting of welcome.
http://www.lubd.com Pang

In Thailand, ppl almost use as ‘Chon’ for Cheers, but some can say like ‘Chok Dee’ but rare case
Alrex

Romanian: Noroc!
http://www.Savvy-Writer.com Rebecca

These are fantastic! Thank you for sharing. I was familiar with the Italian and Spanish ways to say cheers but now I know other ways. This list will come in handy when I travel.
http://jafdip.com Mikel King

Selamat minum! – Malay
Geno

Swahili: Afya! or Maisha marefu!

It varies a little based on the country.
Rob Nunn

Cheers for the great info!!!!!
marytrobot

the places I’ve been in South America say “salud” but in Spain (castallan speakers) we would always say “chin chin” like “ching” in english without the “g”.
Stephen

Great list!
Only thing, the Korean is 건배 which would really be translated as geon-bae but is pronounced ‘kawn-bae’(eo sound is pronounced ‘aw’ and if ㄱ is at the start of the word, the prounciation tends more towards a ‘k’ sound than a ‘g’).

Keep up the good word!
http://fitrayuda.net Fitra Yuda

Indonesia please
m

Thai speakers wouldn’t say “chok-dee” for a drinking toast. That means “good luck.” You would hear “Chai-yo” as a toast when drinking.

http://kristin5683.wordpress.com/ Kristin Conard

Seems like there are a couple of options in Thailand from our commentors and our writers/editors in Thailand!

Pingback: ¡Salud! « The Global Film Initiative
Ly

The Polish pronunciation guide is a little off.
Na Zdrowie is said more like ‘nahz-droh-vyeh’.
Also, you try to make it sound all like one word.
senem

“şerefe” in Turkish!
Go_easter

I don’t know which foreigner was first to decide that Russians say “Na Zdorovie” for cheers, but it’s amazing how this misconception continues from one article to the next. We just don’t say it. We don’t. We never do. Get it?

With this, I’m not sure the other languages are correct, too.

Vladimir

Just was going to write that. “Na zdorovye” is used like the English “you are welcome,” if ever. This expression is close enough to several common toasts (“budem zdorovy,”, “za vashe zdorovye,”) so it is accepted and understood when foreigners say it, but Russians themselves never use it when toasting.

Vladimir

Any turn of speech can be rendered incomprehensible, or even worse, misunderstood, if the accent is placed on a wrong syllable. Do I say TER-vih-sex, ter-VIH-sex, or ter-vih-SEX?
http://twitter.com/WirelessLife Anthony Bartolo

Maltese: Cheers = Aviva (a-VI-va)
Jtmidwest314

I think you MAY be trying to say Thank you in Polish. Someone help us out here
Csb

It means ‘thank you.’
Csb

It means ‘thank you.’
Bob

a lot of the phonetics are incorrect, but close
Bob

a lot of the phonetics are incorrect, but close
Bob

a lot of the phonetics are incorrect, but close
SAMNOMUS

In Thailand, we do not say Chok dee for cheers but we say Duem or Chon.
http://twitter.com/xxxriainxxx xxxriainxxx

True, We don’t say ‘Mabuhay’. Mabuhay is either welcome or long live. We just say Cheers or ‘Itaas mo’ (Raise it)
jque

In Breton

written : yec’hed mat
pronounced : yar mat
Dustin Steichmann

tram phan tram is another vietnamese meaning 100% or drink it all. Koreans also say han chan hae, which means one cup.
Suzan

“fe sehtak” means in your health not good luck.
H2opolochic213

You should have Farsi on there as well. ‘Salamati’

Sam

I’d add a “Be” to it, to make it “Be Salamati” as in To your health

San

Polish “dziekuje” means “thank you”
Ponny

In Ukranian and may be some other languages it means “Thank you”. In Russian translation it is written “Дякую”.
molly

means “thank you” in polish
molly

means “thank you” in polish
Brookswift

Don’t say cin cin (chin chin) in Japan, it’s very rude in Japanese.
Brookswift

Don’t say cin cin (chin chin) in Japan, it’s very rude in Japanese.
None

And in Arabic we say “نخبك” /No7′bak/ not “fe shtak”
Nintendo64

yes we don’t use mabuhay … cheers or toast!
reliable source

it means “thank you”
reliable source

it means “thank you”
reliable source

it means “thank you”
Dobrinko7523

“Sahha” in Maltese
Kuryozum

dziękuję means thank You in polish
Jeannette Fain

In Swiss German:” Proscht” or “Proeschtli”
Bhavnarang85

Punjabi – indian says “chakko makko thappo” – burrah
Bhavnarang85

Punjabi – indian says “chakko makko thappo” – burrah
Bhavnarang85

Punjabi – indian says “chakko makko thappo” – burrah
Bhavnarang85

Punjabi – indian says “chakko makko thappo” – burrah
Bhavnarang85

Punjabi – indian says “chakko makko thappo” – burrah
Anonymous

thank you in polish, says google translator
Thekrolik

it means “thank you” in polish. I have a question for Russians, what would you say at the wedding as a toast? i will be having many guests from all over the world and i’m trying to learn a toast in each language. thanks in advance

~ future bride

How to say ‘cheers’ in 50 languages

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