saúde
/saˈu.d͡ʒi/
The Portuguese way to say God bless you (when someone sneezes) is saúde.
In Portuguese, saúde is the most common and natural way to respond to someone sneezing, whereas English speakers are more likely to use 'Bless you'.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
saúde literally translates to 'health' in English.
Which one should you use?
While saúde is the standard response to a sneeze, the phrase Deus te abençoe is the literal translation of 'God bless you' and is used more in religious contexts or as a heartfelt blessing rather than a reflex response to a sneeze.
How do you pronounce it?
/saˈu.dʒi/
When do people say it?
For more specific religious contexts, one might say Deus te abençoe pela intercessão de São José to mean 'May God bless you through the intercession of St. Joseph'.
Did you know?
- In some regions, if a person sneezes multiple times, the responder may cycle through saúde, dinheiro 'money' and amor 'love' for each subsequent sneeze.
- While saúde is the common response to a sneeze, it is also the standard word used when making a toast with drinks, similar to 'Cheers'.
- The word saúde comes from the Latin salūtem, which is the same root that gives English the word 'salute'.
Examples in context
- Saúde!Bless you!
- Ele espirrou, então eu disse: saúde.He sneezed, so I said: bless you.
- Sempre que alguém espirra, eu digo saúde.Whenever someone sneezes, I say bless you.
Example conversation
Lucas sneezes during a quiet moment at home.
- CamilaLucas, saúde!Lucas, bless you!
- LucasObrigado, Camila.Thank you, Camila.
- CamilaVocê está bem?Are you okay?
- LucasSim, estou bem.Yes, I am fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God bless you” translations and entries saúde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saúde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
