na zdravje
/na zdráːʋjɛ/word by word
na zdravje is the Slovenian way to say cheers.
The phrase is used as a toast when drinking.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The expression literally translates to to health, consisting of the preposition na (to/on) and the noun zdravje (health).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is composed of the preposition na and the noun zdravje in the accusative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/na zdráːʋjɛ/
When do people say it?
In Slovenian culture, it is common to clink glasses individually with everyone present rather than clinking them all at once.
Did you know?
- When saying na zdravje, it is considered a bad omen to avoid eye contact with the person you are toasting. Making direct eye contact ensures you are truly acknowledging their health and well-being.
- The noun zdravje is closely related to the adjective zdrav, which means 'healthy' and is used in the common greeting zdravo.
- The Proto-Slavic root of zdravje suggests a connection to being 'sound' or 'whole', implying that toasting is not just about being free of disease, but about being physically and mentally complete.
Example sentences for Slovenian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Ana and Rok are having a drink together at a cafe.
- AnaTukaj je tvoje pivo, Rok.Here is your beer, Rok.
- RokHvala, Ana. Na zdravje!Thanks, Ana. Cheers!
- AnaNa zdravje!Cheers!
- RokTo je zelo dobro pivo.This is a very good beer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (na, zdravje) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries na, zdravje, CC BY-SA 4.0.
