uz veselību
The Latvian way to say "bless you" is uz veselību.
uz veselību is the phrase used to acknowledge someone who has sneezed. It is also the standard Latvian toast used when drinking, similar to the English "cheers".
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "to health".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase consists of the preposition uz followed by veselību, which is the accusative case of the noun veselība (health).
When do people say it?
In addition to being a response to a sneeze, this phrase serves as a common toast during drinks.
Did you know?
- Unlike the English 'God bless you', the Latvian phrase is entirely secular and contains no religious references. This makes it safe to use in any social setting, regardless of one's faith.
- In some traditional Latvian circles, the person who sneezed might reply to uz veselību with paldies, which means 'thank you'.
- Because uz veselību is also a toast, saying it to someone who sneezes in a crowded bar might actually cause people to think you are starting a toast rather than reacting to a sneeze.
Examples in context
- Uz veselību!Bless you!This example shows the use of uz veselību as an exclamation.Tatoeba #2017182 by Balamax, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- Person B (from Vidzeme): Uz veselību!To your health!
Example conversation
Artūrs and Laura are sitting in a quiet cafe.
- Artūrs*Ačiū!**Achoo!*
- LauraUz veselību, Artūr!Bless you, Artūrs!
- ArtūrsPaldies, Laura.Thanks, Laura.
- LauraNav par ko.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
