живели
živeli!/ʒiˈveli/Cyrillic
In Serbian, "cheers" can be expressed through several forms, most commonly живели (živeli!). Wiktionary also lists уздравље and чин чин.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| живели | živeli! | /ʒiˈveli/ | Cyrillic |
| уздравље | Cyrillic | ||
| чин чин | Cyrillic | ||
| uzdravlje | Latin | ||
| živeli | Latin | ||
| čin čin | Latin |
The primary way to toast when drinking is to use живели. You may also use Zdravlje! which means "health!", or the phrase Na zdravlje!, which translates to "to health!"
What does it mean word for word?
The word живели literally means "may you live" in the plural or polite form.
Which one should you use?
While живели is the most common way to say "cheers" during a toast, уздравље is a more formal option and is also frequently used as a polite way to say "bless you" after someone sneezes.
How do you pronounce it?
živeli!
Did you know?
- In many Serbian social settings, the toast is not just a word but a ritual often accompanied by making eye contact with everyone at the table. Failing to look someone in the eye while saying живели can sometimes be seen as impolite.
- The root of уздравље literally combines 'up' and 'health', creating a sense of 'raising up' one's health to the others. It is a linguistic elevation of the concept of wellness.
- In some rural Serbian traditions, the person leading the toast with живели may provide a short, rhyming poem or a personalized wish for each person at the table.
Examples in context
- Живели!Cheers!This sentence demonstrates the use of живели.Tatoeba #5887250 by astru, translation #487006 by human600
- Danas slavimo! Živeli!Today we celebrate! Cheers!
- Hvala svima na divnoj večeri. Na zdravlje!Thanks to everyone for the wonderful dinner. Cheers!
- Srećan rođendan! Nazdravlje!Happy birthday! Cheers!
- Живели, за твоје здравље!Cheers, to your health!
Example conversation
Stefan and Ana are having a drink at a cafe.
- StefanОво вино је одлично.This wine is excellent.
- AnaСлажем се, стварно је добро.I agree, it is really good.
- StefanЖивели, Ана!Cheers, Ana!
- AnaЖивели, Стефане!Cheers, Stefan!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries живели, uzdravlje, živeli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
