geseënd wees
In Afrikaans, "bless you" is said as geseënd wees.
The phrase is used as an interjection when someone has sneezed.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Did you know?
- While 'geseënd wees' is the literal translation, many Afrikaans speakers simply say Gesondheid! which means 'Health!'
- The word geseënd contains a diaeresis, the two dots over the 'e', which tells the reader to pronounce the second 'e' as a separate syllable.
- If someone sneezes multiple times, it is common to switch from the formal blessing to simply saying Toe maar! which functions like 'There, there!' or 'That's enough!'
Example conversation
Stefan and Marelize are sitting in a living room.
- Stefan*sneezes**Sneezes*
- MarelizeGeseënd wees, Stefan!Bless you, Stefan!
- StefanDankie, Marelize.Thank you, Marelize.
- MarelizeIs jy siek?Are you sick?
