nazdravlje
Latin
The Croatian phrase for "bless you" is nazdravlje. Wiktionary also lists na zdravlje.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | Note |
|---|---|
| nazdravlje | Latin |
| na zdravlje | Latin |
You say nazdravlje to someone who has just sneezed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase na zdravlje literally translates to "to health". It is composed of the preposition na (on/to) and the noun zdravlje (health).
Which one should you use?
The two-word version na zdravlje is the grammatically correct form, while the single-word version nazdravlje is a very common way to express "bless you" after a sneeze.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is built using the preposition na and the noun zdravlje.
When do people say it?
When someone says nazdravlje to you after you sneeze, the standard response is to say hvala (thank you).
Did you know?
- While used for sneezing, nazdravlje is also the standard way to say 'cheers' when clinking glasses during a toast.
- While 'bless you' in English has a religious connotation, the Croatian nazdravlje is secular and focuses entirely on the person's physical well-being.
- The word zdravlje is a close relative of the English word 'health' through the shared Proto-Indo-European root for 'whole' or 'uninjured'.
Examples in context
- Nazdravlje!Bless you!
Example conversation
Two friends are sitting in a quiet cafe.
- Petra*Ačii!**Achoo!*
- IvanNazdravlje, Petra.Bless you, Petra.
- PetraHvala, Ivane.Thank you, Ivan.
- IvanJe li ti dobro?Are you feeling okay?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
