לחיים
lekhayem/ɫəˈχaɪ̯əm/
The Yiddish phrase for "cheers" is לחיים (lekhayem).
לחיים is used as a toast when drinking. For a more informal way to say "to your life", you can use Zolst leben.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
lekhayem. /ɫəˈχaɪ̯əm/
Did you know?
- Although Yiddish is a Germanic language, the toast לחיים is borrowed directly from Hebrew, a Semitic language.
- The word חיים meaning 'life' is grammatically plural in both Hebrew and Yiddish, meaning that 'life' is always spoken of as a plural concept when toasting.
- Despite being a toast for drinking, לחיים can be used as a general exclamation of joy or a way to signal a positive turning point in a conversation.
Examples in context
- לחיים!Cheers!This example shows how to use לחיים for a toast.Tatoeba #10371653 by shekitten, translation #487006 by human600
Example conversation
Miriam and Menachem are celebrating a holiday together.
- מרים Miriamמנחם, קוק וואס איך האב געפונען!Menachem, kuk vos ikh hob gefunen!Menachem, look what I found!
- מנחם Menahemא פלאסקיין ווין? דאָס איז פאַראַגאָרט!A flaskeyn vin? Dos iz faragort!A little bottle of wine? That is great!
- מרים Miriamגיס עס אין גלעם. לחיים!Gis es in glem. L'chayim!Pour it in the glass. Cheers!
- מנחם Menahemלחיים, מרים!L'chayim, Miriam!Cheers, Miriam!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries לחיים, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries לחיים, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
