お大事に
odaiji ni[o̞da̠iʑi ɲ̟i]
お大事に (odaiji ni) is the Japanese way to say "bless you" to someone who has sneezed.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
odaiji ni
Did you know?
- The word 大事 (daiji) used in the phrase is the same word used to describe a 'big matter' or an 'emergency'.
- If you sneeze in a Japanese setting, people might not say anything at all, as there is no strict social requirement to acknowledge a sneeze as there is in English.
- Because the phrase is a shortening of a much more polite command, using it with a superior might actually feel too abrupt or casual.
Examples in context
- 「くしゅん」「お大事に」「ありがとう」"Achoo." "Bless you." "Thanks."This example shows the exchange of saying お大事に after a sneeze and receiving a thank you.Tatoeba #11203777 by small_snow, translation #1896429 by marcelostockle
Example conversation
Yuta and Yui are in a classroom together.
- 結衣 Yuiくしゅん！Kushun!Achoo!
- 陽太 Yota大丈夫？お大事に。Daijoubu? Odaiji ni.Are you okay? Bless you.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、陽太君。Arigatou, Youta-kun.Thank you, Youta.
- 陽太 Yotaゆっくり休んでね。Yukkuri yasunde ne.Get some good rest.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry お大事に, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
My MIL was from Okinawa and she would bless my children sneezes in her dialect. She’s gone now and now that I’m a grandmother, I would love to properly pronounce the word correctly.
What a lovely memory. In Okinawa the traditional word is kusukwee (クスクェー). It’s a charm to scare off the spirit that comes with a sneeze, and it’s said especially for children.