prost
/pʁoːst/
The English phrase "cheers" can be translated into German as prost or zum Wohl.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| prost | /pʁoːst/ |
| zum Wohl | /t͡sʊm ˈvoːl/ |
Both forms are used as a toast when drinking.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase zum Wohl literally means "to the well-being" (of the person being toasted).
Which one should you use?
prost is the casual, common way to say cheers, whereas zum Wohl is more formal and polite.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
prost is used in informal situations, while zum Wohl is a formal expression. For an even more formal way to say "to your health", you can use Auf Ihr Wohl!
How do you pronounce it?
/pʁoːst/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use "cheers" as a way to say "thank you" or "goodbye" in German. However, in German, prost is strictly used for drinking toasts.
Did you know?
- In Germany, it is considered bad luck or a sign of poor manners not to make eye contact with the other person while saying prost.
- In the past, the root of prost was used as a polite blessing when someone sneezed, much like how people say 'God bless you' in English today.
- Depending on the region, some Germans may use Zum Wohl exclusively for wine and Prost for beer.
Examples in context
- Alles klar, lasst uns heute nicht förmlich sein. Prost!All right, everyone, let's not stand on ceremony tonight. Cheers!This sentence shows how to use prost in a casual setting.Tatoeba #4126951 by Dani6187, translation #22125 by AlanF_US
- Zum Wohl!Cheers!This sentence provides an example of the formal zum Wohl!Tatoeba #957535 by Sudajaengi, translation #487006 by human600
- Prost, auf das neue Jahr!Cheers to the new year!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are having a beer together at a pub.
- JulianIch habe uns zwei Bier bestellt.I ordered two beers for us.
- HannahDanke, Julian! Ich hatte großen Durst.Thanks, Julian! I was very thirsty.
- JulianDann prost!Then cheers!
- HannahProst, Hannah!Cheers, Hannah!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries prost, zum Wohl, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Wohl, prost, wohl, zum, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
