sláinte
/ˈsˠl̪ˠɑːnʲtʲə/
sláinte is the Irish way to say cheers.
The word sláinte is a common way to say cheers in Irish, meaning health or to your health. You can also use several variations: Sláinte mhaith means good health or to good health, while Sláinte go leor translates to plenty of health or cheers in abundance.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
Which one should you use?
Sláinte chugat is a specific informal variation meaning cheers to you.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsˠl̪ˠɑːnʲtʲə/
When do people say it?
The phrase Go raibh maith agat is used to say thank you and is not a toast.
Did you know?
- The word sláinte shares an ancient root with the English word 'health', as both descend from the same Proto-Indo-European source for 'whole' or 'healthy'.
- The Irish word sláinte is so ubiquitous that it is often used as a name for pubs and bars across Ireland and the Irish diaspora, regardless of whether Irish is spoken there.
- Even though sláinte is the standard toast, some people in more traditional settings might use Sláinte na nDaoine to toast the health of the people.
Examples in context
- Sláinte chugat!Cheers to you!
- Sláinte na n-óg!Cheers to the youth!
Example conversation
Oisín and Saoirse are having drinks at a pub.
- OisínSeo cuprig an bheoir, a Saoirse.Here is the beer, Saoirse.
- SaoirseGo raibh maith agat, a Oisín.Thank you, Oisín.
- OisínSláinte!Cheers!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries sláinte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sláinte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
