Feature photo by joeshlabotnik Photo above by tavallai
“Cheers!” is the most important word to learn before you travel to a new country. With Matador’s definitive list, you’ll be toasting new friends in no time.
The ancient Egyptians did it. The ancient Chinese did it. And so did the Greeks.
People around the world have been getting drunk for thousands of years. The act of ‘toasting’ and clinking glasses together has been taking place for so long that the origins of the ritual are quite blurry.
There are many debated theories —the most popular being the noise of ‘clinking’ was to ward off evil spirits. Another tale claims that by crashing glasses together, the libations in each glass would slosh into the other person’s cup, proving that neither was poisoned.
Most commonly the toast translates to ‘good health,’ something we all need after one too many shots.
Candy Is Dandy But liquor Is quicker.- Ogden Nash
When traveling, the act of sharing a libation with a local can help foster international good will. Learning how to say “cheers!” in the local language is important!
Here is an international “cheers!” cheat sheet for you to print out, laminate, tuck into your passport, or copy to your cell phone. Enjoy!
Afrikaans : Gesondheid! : (Ge-sund-hide)
Albanian : Gëzuar! : (Géschuar)
Arabic (Egyptian) : في صحتكم! : (Fee-sa-ha-tak)
Armenian : Armenia : (Gen-ots-it)
Azerbaijani : Afiyët oslun! : (Afeeyet Ohs-lun)
Basque : On egin! : (On egín)
Photo by tatianasapateiro
Bosnian : Živjeli! : (Zhee-vi-lee)
Bulgarian : Наздраве! : (NAZ-dra-vey)
Chinese (Mandarin) : 乾杯! [干杯!] : (Gan BAY)
Chinese : (Cantonese) : (Gom bui)
Czech : Na zdravi : (NAZ-drah vi)
Croatian : Živjeli! : (ZHEE-vi-lee)
Danish : Skål! : (Skol)
Here’s to you and here’s to me, the best of friends we’ll ever be, but if we ever disagree, to hell with you and here’s to me
.
Dutch : Prosit! : (Prowst)
Photo by hzeller
English : Cheers! Bottoms up! Down the hatch! Here’s mud in your eye!
Esperanto : Je via sano! Toston! : (YEH VEE-ah SAH-no/Tóston)
Estonian : Terviseks! : (Ter-vi-seks)
Ethiopian (Amharic) : Letenachin : (L’-TAY-nah-chin)
Farsi : (Ba-sal-a-ma-TEE)
Finnish : Kippis! : (KEEP-us)
Drink is the feast of reason and the flow of soul.–Alexander Pope
French : A Votre Sante! : (Ah Vot-ruh Sahn-tay)
Photo by fihu
Gaelic (Irish) : Sláinte! : (Slawn-che)
German : Prost! : (Prohst)
Greek : στην υγειά σας! : (Stin Eyiassou/Stin Eye-ee-yass-ooh)
Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. —Ecclesiastes 9:10
Hawaiian : Okole Maluna! : (Å’kålè ma’luna)
Hebrew : לְחַיִּים!/L’Chaim! : (Le Chy-em)
Hungarian : Egeszsegere! : (Egg-esh Ay-ged-reh)
Italian : Salute! : Cin cin! (Salu-tay/Chin Chin)
Japanese : /Kampai! : (Kam-pie)
Payday came and with it beer. -Rudyard Kipling
Korean : 위하여 (Chukbae) : (Sheet seki yah)
Latvian : Prieka! : (Pree-eh-ka)
Lithuanian i : sveikata! : (Ee sweh-kata)
Luxembourgish : Prost! : (Prohst)
Maltese : Evviva! : (A-vee-va)
The problem with some people is that when they aren’t drunk they’re sober. -William Butler Yeats
Mongolian : Эрүүл мэндийн төлөө! : (Erüül mehdiin tölöö)
Norwegian : Skål! : (Skoal)
Persian : به سلامتی! : (beh salamati)
Photo by janthemanson
Polish Na : zdrowie! : (Naz-droh-vee-ay)
Portuguese : Saúde! : (Sow-ooh-jee)
Romanian : Noroc! : (No-roak)
Russian : Будем здоровы! : (Boo-dem Zdo-ro-vee-eh)
Serbian : Ziveli! : (ZHEE-vi-lee)
Slovak : Na zdravie! : (Naz-drah-vee-ay)
Work is the curse of the drinking class. -Oscar Wilde
Spanish : ¡Salud!/Salut! : (Sah-lud/Sah-lute)
Swedish : Skål! : (Skol)
Thai : ไชโย! : (Chuc-dee)
Turkish : Şerefe! : (Sher-i-feh)
Vietnamese : Chúc sức khoẻ! : (chook-sa-koi-ah)
Yiddish : געזונטערהייט! Zei Gazunt! : (Zye GAH-zoont)
Zulu : Oogy wawa! : (oogee-wawa)
Undoubtedly you will be downing many more drinks in your lifetime – and making many toasts to international friends. Cheers!
Know how to say “Cheers!” in a language that’s not on the list? Please leave a comment below!
Community Connection!
Check out Matador’s highly scientific rankings of the world’s Top 10 Rooftop Bars, and Top 10 Local Parties for ideas on where to get your international drink on. Flying solo? Read the Gutsy Girl’s Guide to Drinking Alone.
Still not sure where to travel next? Here are our equally scientific calculations on where to find the world’s Sexiest Women and Sexiest Men – and the Practical Guide To Hostel Sex.
Here’s to international relations!
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69 Comments... join the discussion!
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what about “tagay ” in the Pilippines ?
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mahboohi said just the way its spelled from the philipines in tagolin
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This was just brilliant!
Skål, Din fulle fan! (cheers, you drunken bastard/swedish)
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Ukrainian say будьмо! in english it is “Boodmo!”
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Gezuar shum! (much health) in Albanian
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Biba! – in the Chamorro language – Guam
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My Norwegian friends tell me that “bonski” is a term analogous to “bottoms up”.
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no welsh
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It isn’t “Zei Gazunt” in Yiddish, but “sei gesund!” which means be or stay healthy. That’s what the “Gesundheit” is related to if somebody sneezes. Also, an addition for German: “Zum Wohl!”, literally “to your well-being”.
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You should have specified that your Portuguese pronunciation is in Brazilian Portuguese not native Portuguese. The native Portuguese it is Saw-ooh-de.
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As for Korean,
they don’t say ChukBae ( i don’t even know where it’s coming from),
Seet seki yah (it’s a foul language. it’s similar to “you bitch”, which Korean people don’t cheer as)Few things in Korean for “cheers”
- 위하여: We Ha Yeo
- 건배: Gun Bae
- 원샷: One Shot (meaning “bottoms up”)↵ -
lol @ Seet seki yah
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How about in Cambodian? Does anyone know?
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This idiot left out Ireland! NO self respecting beer writer or lover would ever leave out Slainte in a list of toasts. retard.
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Hi,
I am Korean and the toast you have on here is incorrect. Koreans also say Gom Bai like the chinese and Japanese do. Shet saki ya is a bad word in korean you may want to tell your readers not to say this when you toast in Korea. Especially during business meetings. Can you imagine if this happened~~
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When I was in Greece we always said OPAAAAHHH! Much easier than
στην υγειά σας! (Stin Eyiassou/Stin Eye-ee-yass-ooh)↵ -
WHAT THE F!
Zulu : Oogy wawa! : (oogee-wawa)
there is no such thing in the zulu language… check your facts before you publish PLEASE!with love,
from Johannesburg↵ -
A lot of these are incorrect.
For example, there is no word for ‘cheers’ in Arabic since the Arabs are Muslim and therefore drinking is illegal.↵
