Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¡Jesús! | Spain |
| ¡salud! | |
| ¡santinos! | Asturias, Northern, Spain |
These phrases are used specifically to respond to someone who has sneezed. Unlike the English 'bless you', which can sometimes be used for many things, these Spanish terms are specifically used in response to sneezing.
What does it mean word for word?
The term ¡salud! literally means 'health', so the phrase is a wish for the person's health.
Which one should you use?
While ¡salud! is the most common and neutral way to say 'bless you' in response to a sneeze across most Spanish-speaking regions, ¡Jesús! is a common alternative used specifically in Spain. In the Asturias region of northern Spain, you may also hear the highly localized expression ¡santinos!
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people commonly say ¡Jesús! to respond to a sneeze. In Spain, ¡Jesús! is frequently used. The expression ¡santinos! is specific to the Asturias region in northern Spain.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if a person sneezes three times in a row, the response changes for each sneeze: ¡salud!, ¡dinero! and ¡amor!
- While salud is a wish for health, it is also the standard way to say 'Cheers!' when making a toast during a drink in many Spanish-speaking countries.
- The use of ¡Jesús! as a response to a sneeze is a remnant of older religious traditions where a sneeze was sometimes viewed as a sign of sudden illness or even demonic presence.
Examples in context
- ¡Jesús!Bless you!This example shows the use of ¡Jesús!Tatoeba #928545 by Shishir, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- ¡Jesús!, que fuerte ha sido el estornudo.Bless you, that sneeze was loud.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet office where Elena suddenly sneezes.
- Alejandro¡Jesús!, ¿te encuentras bien, Elena?Bless you! Are you okay, Elena?
- ElenaGracias, Alejandro. Solo es un poco de polvo.Thanks, Alejandro. It is just a bit of dust.
- AlejandroVaya, ese estornudo ha sonado muy fuerte.Wow, that sneeze sounded very loud.
- ElenaSí, me ha sorprendido incluso a mí.Yes, it surprised even me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
