salute
/saˈlu.te/
The English phrase "cheers" can be translated into Italian as salute. Wiktionary also lists alla salute and prosit.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| salute | /saˈlu.te/ |
| alla salute | /ˈal.la saˈlu.te/ (word by word) |
| prosit |
In Italian, salute is used as a toast when drinking. The phrase Cin cin is a popular way to say cheers in Italian.
What does it mean word for word?
The word salute literally means "health" in Italian.
How do you pronounce it?
The word salute has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /saˈlu.te/.
When do people say it?
When saying salute during a toast, it is customary to make eye contact with the people you are clinking glasses with.
Did you know?
- If someone sneezes, you say salute to them. It is the Italian equivalent of saying 'bless you' or 'gesundheit'.
- In some Italian regions, it is considered bad luck to toast with water because it is thought to bring misfortune or a failed marriage.
- The popular toast cin cin is an onomatopoeia meant to mimic the sound of two glasses clinking together.
Examples in context
- Salute!Cheers!This example shows how to use salute to say "Cheers!"Tatoeba #991588 by riccioberto, translation #487006 by human600
- Alla salute, ragazzi!Cheers, guys!
- Un brindisi alla salute!A toast to your health!
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are clinking wine glasses at a dinner party.
- ChiaraAlla salute, Francesco!Cheers, Francesco!
- FrancescoAlla salute, Chiara!Cheers, Chiara!
- ChiaraIl vino è ottimo.The wine is excellent.
- FrancescoSì, è davvero squisito.Yes, it is truly delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries salute, alla salute, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (alla, salute) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
