Cheers! Bottoms up! Salut! No matter how you say it, clinking together your mugs or glasses is a way to celebrate friendships and new experiences. If you’re an avid backpacker, you’ve probably bonded with people all over the world over food and drinks.
Cheers! (Photo credit: vmiramontes)
Here’s a list of ways to say cheers in 50 languages to assist you in your travels – learn it, practice it, memorize it – or just look it up on your smartphone the next time you’re about to go bottoms up!
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Note: Whether you want to say cheers in German, cheers in Spanish, cheers in French, cheers in Japanese, or cheers in any of the other 50 languages above, remember that there may be regional and formality variations to these ways to say cheers. If you happen to happen to make a mistake don’t fret too much, just order another round and bury your faux-pas in an evening of laughter and drinks.
