terviseks
In Estonian, 'cheers' can be said as terviseks or proosit.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
Ways to say it
| Estonian |
|---|
| terviseks |
| proosit |
The standard and most common way to make a toast in Estonian is to say terviseks. You may also use the phrase kõigi terviseks, which means "to everyone's health".
Which one should you use?
Terviseks is the traditional way to toast, while proosit is a more casual way to say 'cheers' based on a loanword.
Did you know?
- The phrase proosit entered Estonian likely through Low German, reflecting the historical influence of Hanseatic traders in the region.
- Because terviseks is derived from tervis meaning 'health', the toast is literally a wish for the recipient to move into a state of health.
- In Estonian, the word 'tervis' does not just mean 'health' in a medical sense, but is also the root for words relating to being 'whole' or 'sound'.
Examples in context
- Terviseks!Cheers!Tatoeba #4691737 by keegi, translation #487006 by human600
- Tervist, sõbrad!Cheers, friends!
- Terviseks, kallis sõber!Cheers, dear friend!
Example conversation
Mari and Margus are having a drink together.
- MariTerviseks, Margus!Cheers, Margus!
- MargusTerviseks, Mari!Cheers, Mari!
- MariSee vein on väga hea.This wine is very good.
- MargusJah, nõustun täielikult.Yes, I completely agree.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries terviseks, proosit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries proosit, terviseks, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
