Responses to sneezing - wikipedia Responses to sneezing This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( November 2009 ) In English - speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person 's sneeze is `` bless you '', or, less commonly in the United States and Canada, `` Gesundheit '', the German word for health ( and the response to sneezing in German - speaking countries ). There are several proposed bless - you origins for use in the context of sneezing. In non-English - speaking cultures, words referencing good health or a long life are often used instead of `` bless you, '' though some also use references to God. In some Asian cultures such as Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese cultures, the practice of responding to another person 's sneeze does not exist. Contents 1 List of responses in other languages 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading List of responses in other Languages Language Usual Responses and Notes Response Meaning in English Sneezer Reply and Pronunciation Reply Meaning in English Albanian Shëndet ( shuhn - det ) `` Health ! '' Faleminderit or Shëndet paç `` Thank you ! '' and `` May you have health, '' respectively Amharic ይማርሽ ( yimarish ) for female or ይማርህ ( yimarih ) for male `` May God forgive you ! '' ያኑሪሽ ( yanurish ) for female or ያኑርህ ( yanurih ) for male `` May you live for long. '' Afrikaans Gesondheid `` Health ! '' Dankie `` Thank You '' Arabic ( Islamic ) ( Correct Way :) يرحمكم الله ( yarhamkum Allah ) if the sneezer says الحمدلله ( Alhamdulillah ), as an alternative interaction ( Rude Way : فرج ( Faraj ), صحة ( Sahha ) ) `` God have mercy on you '' if the sneezer says `` All praise is for God. '' Relief ! ``, `` Health ! '' علينا و عليك ( Alayna wa Alayk ), شكراً ( Shukran ) or يهديكم الله و يصلح بالكم ( Yahdeekum Allah wa youslah balakum ) after the alternative interaction `` For you and me '', `` Thank you ! '' or `` God guide you and set your affairs aright. '' Armenian առողջություն ( aroghjootyoon ) `` Health '' շնորհակալություն ( shnorhakalutyun ) `` Thank you '' Assamese মঙ্গল হওক ( môngôl hôwk ) `` May good happen. '' Unknown Unknown Azeri Sağlam ol, or sometimes Afiat ( see Persian ) `` Be healthy. '' `` Sağ ol '' Thank You Bangla ( Bangladesh ) Yarhamukallah ( আল্লাহ তোমার উপর রহম দান করুন ) ( India ) Jibah Jibah ( জীবঃ জীবঃ ), `` ( Bangladesh ) May Allah have mercy on you ( India ) May you live long `` `` Silence '' `` Silence '' Basque Doministiku, from Latin `` dominus tecum '' `` The Lord be with you. '' Unknown Unknown Belarusian будзь здаровы for both genders, orбудзь здароў ( Budz zdarovy / budz zdarou ) for male and будзь здаровая ( Budz zdarovaja ) for female `` Be healthy ! '' for each gender дзякуй ( dziakuj ) `` Thank you. '' Bosnian Nazdravlje `` To your good health. '' Hvala `` Thank you. '' Breton Doue d'ho pennigo. `` God will bless you. '' Bulgarian Наздраве ( Nazdrave ) `` To your health. '' or `` Cheers. '' Благодаря ( Blagodarya ) `` Thank you. '' Burmese Ta Baw Pout Pi Lar ? `` Understood ? '' or `` Got it ? '' Hote, Pout Pi `` Yes or No. '' Khmer សុខភាព ( sokhpheap ) `` Health '' Unknown N / A Catalan Jesús or Salut `` Jesus. '' or `` Health ! '' Gràcies `` Thank you. '' Cantonese ' 大 吉利 事 / `` 好 嘅 ''. Sneezing in Southern Chinese culture means that someone is speaking ill behind your back. `` A great fortunate occurrence. '' / `` A good one. '' 唔 好意思 `` Excuse me. '' Chechen Dukha vehil for male or Dukha yehil for female `` Live for a long time. '' Dela reze hiyla `` Thank you, literally means `` I wish God will bless you ''. '' Chinese Chinese speakers do not typically comment on another person 's sneeze, or sometimes 多 保重 ( duobaozhong ). `` Take care '' 不 好意思 ( bùhǎoyìsi ) `` Excuse me. '' Croatian Nazdravlje or Istina ! `` To your health. '' or `` Truth ! '' Hvala `` Thank you. '' Czech Na zdraví or Pozdrav Pánbůh or Je to pravda `` To your health. '' or `` Bless God '' or `` It is true. '' Ať slouží or Dejž to Pánbůh ( in reply to Pozdrav Pánbůh ) `` May it last. '' or `` May God let it happen ( bless you ) '' Danish Prosit `` May it help. '' Tak `` Thank you. '' Dutch Gezondheid, or if the person has sneezed three times, ( Drie keer ) morgen mooi weer `` Health ! '', the equivalent of ' Gesundheit ' said in English, or if the person has sneezed three times, `` ( Three times ) the weather will be nice tomorrow. '' Dank u ( wel ) formally, or Dank je ( wel ) `` Thank you. '' English ( God ) bless you `` ( God ) bless you '' Thank you `` Thank you '' Esperanto Sanon `` Health ! '' Dankon `` Thank you '' Estonian Terviseks `` For your health. '' Aitäh `` Thank you '' Faroese Jesuspápi vælsigni teg ! This can be shortened to Vælsigni teg ! `` May Jesus bless you. '' or `` Bless you. '' Takk ( fyri ) ! `` Thanks ( for ( it ) ) ! '' Finnish Terveydeksi `` For health ! '' Kiitos `` Thank you '' French à tes / vos souhaits or Santé Archaic : à tes / vos amours after the second sneeze, and qu'elles durent toujours after the third. More archaically, one can say Que dieu te / vous bénisse. `` To your wishes '' or `` health ''. Archaic : after the first sneeze, `` To your loves. '' after the second, and `` that they last forever '' after the third. More archaically, the translation is `` God bless you ''. Merci or Merci, que les tiennes durent toujours after the second sneeze `` Thank you '' or `` Thanks, may yours last forever '' after the second sneeze Georgian იცოცხლე ( itsotskhle ) `` Live long. '' გმადლობთ ( gmadlobt ) `` Thank you. '' German 1 ) Gesundheit ! 2 ) Helf Gott ! / Helfgott ! ( Southern Germany / Austria / Transylvanian - Saxon ; archaic / mostly used by more or less religious elderly ) 3 ) Großwachsen ! ( Transylvanian - Saxon ; from Romanian `` Să creşti mare ! '' ; used solely for children, usually after the usual `` Gesundheit '' for the first and / or second response ) 1 ) `` Health ! '' ( in the meaning of I wish you good health or I wish that you do n't get sick ) 2 ) `` May God help you ! '' 3 ) `` You shall grow tall ! '' Danke ( schön ) `` Thank you ( very much ). '' Greek στην υγεία σου ( steen ygeia su ) or γείτσες ( geitses ) `` To your health ! '' or `` Healths ! '' Ευχαριστώ ( Efharisto ) `` Thank You '' Gujarati Ghanu Jivo `` May God bless you with a long life. '' `` Aabhar '' `` Thank You '' Hawaiian Kihe, a mauli ola, or simply Ola `` Sneeze, and you shall live '', or simply `` live '' Mahalo `` Thank You '' Hebrew לבריאות ( livri'oot or labri'oot ) `` To your health ! '' תודה ( todah ) `` Thank you ! '' Sanskrit शतम् जीवः ( Shatam Jeevah ), `` चिरञ्जीवी भव '' `` Live 100 years '', `` May you live long `` धन्यवादः, धन्यवादाः ( Dhanyavaadah, Dhanyavaadaah ) '' `` Thanks '' Hungarian Egészségedre ! `` To your health ! '' Köszönöm `` Thank you. '' Igbo Ndo `` Sorry. '' Daalu `` Thank you. '' Icelandic Guð hjálpi þér ! to first sneeze, styrki þig to second sneeze, og styðji to third sneeze. This can be shortened to Hjálpi þér. `` God help you ! '' to first sneeze, `` strengthen you '' to second sneeze, `` and support. '' to third sneeze. This can be shortened to `` Bless you. '' `` Takk fyrir '' `` Thank you '' Indonesian Tuhan berkati `` God bless. '' `` Terima Kasih. '' `` Thank you. '' Irish Dia linn or Dia leat or Deiseal which may be a form of Dia seal The first two both mean `` God be with us. '' The last means `` May it go right, '' but might be a form of `` God with us for a while. '' gabh mo leithscéal `` Excuse me. '' Italian Salute ! `` Health ! '' Grazie or ( ironic ) Che se ne va The former meaning `` Thank you '', the latter ( ironic ) meaning `` Which is going away '' Japanese お 大事 に ( Odaiji - ni ) as assuming one got cold. Or, an Asian superstition says that if one sneezes, they are being talked about by someone, somewhere. Note, however, that it is very rare for anyone to acknowledge a sneeze in Japan, and it is customary not to say anything at all. `` Take care of yourself. '' すみません ( sumimasen ) or 失礼 しま した ( shitsurei shimashita ) `` Sorry. '' or `` Excuse me. '' Kannada ದೇವರು ಕಾಪಾಡಲಿ ( devaru kaapadali ) `` Let God protect you '' ' ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು ' `` Thanks ! '' Kazakh Сау Болыңыз ( Saw Bolıñız ) `` Be healthy. '' Рахмет ! `` Thank you ! '' Khmer ស្បើយ ( S'baoi ) `` Fast recovery. '' សាធុ ( Satu ) `` Amen '' Kirundi Kira `` Be healthy. '' Twese `` Us all. '' Kinyarwanda Urakire `` May you be healthy. '' Twese `` Us all. '' Korean In Korean culture, the practice of responding to someone 's sneeze is very rare, lacking a standard response. Kurdish Kher be inshalla. Many times when one sneezes, they say that the thing they are about to do will not happen. So, a listener says Kher be. `` It will be a good thing, God willing, '' or the shorter version, `` A good sign hopefully. '' Unknown Unknown Kyrgyz Ак чүч ! ( aqˈt͡ʃut͡ʃ ). This may be based on an onomatopœia of the sound of a sneeze, like the English `` Atchoo. '' Рахмат !, if the person who spoke after the sneeze is liked. `` Thank you. '' Ladino Vivas, or Crescas after a second sneeze. `` May you live, '' or `` May you grow '' after a second sneeze. Unknown Unknown Latgalian Veseleibā `` To your health. '' Paldis `` Thank you. '' Latvian Uz veselību `` To your health. '' Paldies `` Thank you. '' Lithuanian Į sveikatą ( pronounced ' EE sweh kata ' ) `` To your health. '' Says Atsiprašau immediately ; responds to a responder with Ačiū. Says `` Excuse me '' immediately ; responds to a responder with `` Thank you. '' Lojban No set phrase, but one commonly says kanro. a'o ( kanro aho ) or. a'o do kanro. `` ( hopefully ) Health ! '' or `` ( said with hope ) You are healthy, '' respectively. Unknown Unknown Luganda Bbuka `` Recover. '' Unknown Unknown Macedonian Hа здравје ( na zdravye ) `` To your health. '' Здравје да имаш ( zdravye da imash ) or Благодарам ( blagodaram ) or Фала ( fala ) `` Have health yourself. '' or `` Thank you. '' or `` Thanks. '' Malayalam Depending on the religion, one would say Hari Krishna ( ഹരി കൃഷ്ണാ ) or Eesho rakshikka ( ഈശോ രക്ഷിക്ക ) Let Lord Krishna bless you or Jesus save you നന്ദി Thanks Maltese Evviva `` May he / she live. '' An alternate translation is `` Long live _____. '' Grazzi `` Thank you. '' Marathi सत्य आहे `` It 's the Truth '' Unknown Unknown Mongolian Бурхан өршөө ( Burkhan örshöö ) `` May god forgive you. '' Unknown Unknown Navajo T'áá bí ání or Háíshį́į́ naa ntsékees / naa yáłti ' `` That / the one said it '' ( lit. `` S / he in particular said it '' ) or `` Someone is thinking of you / talking about you '' ' Aoo ' t'áá bí ání ( in response to `` Someone is thinking / talking about you '' ) `` Yes, that / the one said it '' Nepali `` चिरञ्जीवी भव '' ( Chiranjeevi Bhawa ) `` May you live long. '' `` धन्यवाद Dhan - ya - bad '' `` Thank You '' Norwegian Prosit `` To your health. '' Takk `` Thank you. '' Afaan Oromo Gudadhu Huddu Sarre Dhungadhu `` Progress. '' Galatoomi `` Thank you. '' Pashto صبر ( Sah - bur ). `` Patience '' مننه ( Mah - nah - nah ). `` Thank you. '' Persian عافیت باشه ( Afiat Basheh ). `` May Cleanliness / Purity be bestowed upon you or may it be for your health. '' The sneezer will often say سلامت باشید ( Salaamat Bashid ). The sneezer will say `` Be healthy. '' Polish Na zdrowie ! or Sto lat ! or Zdrówko ! ( a diminutive form of `` zdrowie '' -- health ) `` To your health ! '' or `` Live a hundred years ! '' or `` ( To your ) health ! '' Dziękuję / Dzięki. Thank you / Thanks. Portuguese Saúde or Deus te crie or Santinho ! These mean, in order : `` Health '' or `` May God raise you '' or `` Little Saint ! '' obrigado / a or Amém `` Thank you '' or `` Amen. '' Punjabi ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ( Waheguru ) or ਤੇਰਾ ਭਲਾ ਹੋਵੇ ! `` Glorious Lord '' or `` May you be blessed, '' respectively. `` Thanvaad '' `` Thank you '' Romanian 1 ) Sănătate / Sănătos or Noroc 2 ) Să creşti mare ! ( for children ; usually `` Noroc '' comes first, then `` Sănătate '' and as third option `` Să creşti mare ! '' ) 1 ) `` To your health / Healthy '' or `` To your luck, '' respectively. 2 ) `` May you grow up ! '' Mulţumesc Thank you Russian будь здоров ( bood ' zdorov ) for male ( informal ) or будь здорова ( bood ' zdorova ) for female ( informal ) or будьте здоровы ( boot'tye zdorovy ) for both genders ( formal ). правду говорю ( pravdu govor'u ) if someone sneezes while talking. `` Be healthy. '' `` I 'm telling the truth. '' спасибо ( spasiba ) `` Thank you. '' Serbian 1 ) Наздравље 2 ) Pis Maco mostly used with children 1 ) `` To your health. '' 2 ) `` go away kitten '' as sound of sneezing often sounds like cat 's cough Хвала or less frequently Истина or Здравље да имаш. `` Thank you, '' or less frequently `` It is true '' or `` Health you have ''. Sinhala ආයුබෝවන් Ayubowan `` Have a long life. '' Thank you `` Thank you '' Slovak Na zdravie `` To your health. '' Ďakujem `` Thank you. '' Slovenian Na zdravje, Res je or the old - fashioned Bog pomagaj `` To your health '', `` It is true '' or `` God help to you. '' Folk belief has it that a sneeze, which is involuntary, proves the truth of whatever was said just prior to it. Hvala `` Thank you. '' Spanish In Latin America, Salud, or Dios te bendiga. In Spain, it can also be Jesús after the first, María after the second and y José after the third, while in Latin America, particularly in Colombia, it 's replaced by salud after the first, dinero after the second and amor after the third. `` To your health '', `` Jesus '', or `` God bless you '', or `` Jesus '' after the first, `` Mary '' after the second and `` and Joseph '' after the third in Spain, while in Latin America, they say health, money and love. Gracias `` Thank you '' Kiswahili Afya or often, no response `` Health '' Asante `` Thank you. '' Swedish Prosit `` Latin prōsit ( `` may it be good '' ), the third - person singular present active subjunctive of prōsum ( `` to be good '' ) : literally `` may it be good ( for you ) '' '' Tack `` Thank you. '' Tamil Needu valgha Also, Dheergayusu, Poornayusu, Sadayusu, `` '' Cheeranjeevi bhava `` '' `` Live long. '' Different variations of long life after consecutive sneezes., `` Live long '' `` Nandri '' `` Thank You '' Telugu Chiranjeevi bhava or దీర్ఘాయుష్మాన్ భవ `` May you be blessed with a life without death. '' or `` May you live long. '' `` ధన్యవాద '' `` Thank You '' Turkish Çok yaşa followed by Sağlıklı yaşa if a second sneeze occurs `` Live long, live healthy. '' Sen de gör or Hep beraber or ' Siz de görün `` And I hope that you live to see it ( my long life ), '' or `` All together, '' or `` And may you witness it ( my long life ), '' respectively. Ukrainian будь здоровий ( BООD ' zdoh - RO - vyy ) to an informal male sneezer, будь здорова ( BООD ' zdoh - RO - va ) to an informal female sneezer, or будьте здорові ( BООD ' - te zdoh - RO - vee ) to a formal sneezer. На здоров'я ! ( na zdoh - RO - v - ia ). Правда ( pra - vda ) if person sneezes while other person 's speech. `` Be healthy. '' `` To your health ! '' `` It is true. '' дякую ( DIA - koo - you ) `` Thank you. '' Urdu yar - hum - o - kullah ( First the person who sneezed says `` Alhamdulillah '', i.e., praise be to God ) `` May God have mercy on you. '' `` Yah - de-kum - ullah. '' `` May God guide you to the right path. '' Uzbek Sogʻ boʻling or Salomat boʻling `` Be healthy. '' Rahmat `` Thank you. '' Vietnamese Cơm muối. In Vietnamese culture, the custom of responding to other people 's sneeze hardly exists. It 's preferred not to say anything. `` Rice with salt. '' Cảm ơn / Cám ơn `` Thank you. '' Welsh Bendith or Bendith ( Duw ) arnat ti ( familiar ) or Bendith ( Duw ) arnoch chi ( respectful ) `` God 's blessing on you. '' `` Diolch '' `` Thank You '' Yiddish זײַ געזונט ( zay gezunt ), or צו געזונט ( tzu gezunt ) after a second sneeze. Another response among Yiddish and Hebrew speaking Jews is אסותא ( asute ), from Aramaic. `` Be healthy, '' `` to health, '' and `` health, '' respectively. A sneezer responds to his or her own sneeze with חיים ( chaim ) in another Jewish custom. `` Life. '' Yoruba kara o le ( cara oh lay ) `` Be healthy '' ose ( oh shay ) `` Thank you. '' See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sneeze. Photic sneeze reflex Snatiation References Jump up ^ Duden ( in German ), DE / RO Jump up ^ Duden ( in German ), DE / RO Jump up ^ `` Siebenbürgisches Wörterbuch zwischen Ajuria und Ziweben '' by Monika Ronneberger ( in German ), DE / RO Jump up ^ Visindavefur ( in Icelandic ), IS. Jump up ^ ThemeFuse ( 26 April 2012 ). `` Say Cheers in 50 Different Languages ''. Retrieved 5 July 2017. Jump up ^ dict.leo.org ( in German ), RO Further reading Barbara Mikkelson ( 2001 ). `` Bless You ! '' Urban Legends Reference Pages. Karen Stollznow ( 2014 ) `` `` God Bless You ! '' -- A Blessing in Disguise ? '' `` Skeptic Magazine ( 19 ) 4. The Origins of Popular Superstitions and Customs - T. Sharper Knowlson ( 1910 ), a book that listed many superstitions and customs that are still common today. Look up sneeze in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Common cold Viruses Adenovirus Coronavirus Enterovirus Human metapneumovirus Human parainfluenza viruses Human respiratory syncytial virus Orthomyxoviruses Influenza A virus Influenza B virus Influenza C virus Rhinovirus Symptoms Cough Fatigue Fever Headache Loss of appetite Malaise Muscle aches Nasal congestion Rhinorrhea Sneezing Sore throat Weakness Complications Acute bronchitis Bronchiolitis Croup Otitis media Pharyngitis Pneumonia Sinusitis Strep throat Drugs Antiviral drugs Pleconaril ( experimental ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Responses_to_sneezing&oldid=810095919 '' Categories : Sneeze Physiology Etiquette lists Hidden categories : CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Icelandic - language sources ( is ) Articles needing additional references from November 2009 All articles needing additional references Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 13 November 2017, at 09 : 11. 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Question: what to say when someone sneezes instead of bless you
Answer: Gesundheit