gezondheid
/ɣəˈzɔntˌɦɛi̯t/
In Dutch, the phrase for "bless you" (said after a sneeze) is gezondheid. Wiktionary also lists proost.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gezondheid | /ɣəˈzɔntˌɦɛi̯t/ | |
| proost | /proːst/ | humorous |
The most common way to respond to someone sneezing is to say gezondheid. While it is used as an equivalent to the English "bless you," it literally expresses a wish for the person's health.
What does it mean word for word?
The word gezondheid means "health".
Which one should you use?
While gezondheid is the standard response to a sneeze, you may occasionally hear proost. Since proost means "cheers" and is used for toasts when drinking, saying it after a sneeze is intended as a joke.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɣəˈzɔntˌɦɛi̯/
When do people say it?
When someone says gezondheid to you, the standard response is dank je in informal situations or dank u in formal situations.
Did you know?
- While gezondheid is a wish for health, the word proost used as a joke after a sneeze is actually a shortened version of the Latin word prōsit, meaning 'may it be good for you'.
- In some Dutch-speaking regions, if someone sneezes multiple times in a row, people might repeat gezondheid for every single sneeze.
- The suffix -heid in gezondheid is used to turn an adjective into an abstract noun, similar to how English uses '-ness' or '-hood'.
Examples in context
- "Hatsjoe!" "Gezondheid!" "Dank je.""Achoo!" "Bless you!" "Thanks."This example shows a typical exchange after a sneeze using gezondheid.Tatoeba #2699315 by McDutchie, translation #2447438 by MethodGT
- Gezondheid!Bless you!This example demonstrates using gezondheid as a standalone response.Tatoeba #1372227 by marcelostockle, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Levi and Emma are sitting in a cafe together.
- LeviHatsjoe!Achoo!
- EmmaGezondheid, Levi!Bless you, Levi!
- LeviDank je wel, Emma.Thank you very much, Emma.
- EmmaGeen probleem.No problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations and entries gezondheid, proost, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gezondheid, proost, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
