お大事に
odaiji ni[o̞da̠iʑi ɲ̟i]
The phrase "god bless you" in Japanese is お大事に (odaiji ni).
In Japanese, the phrase お大事に is used when somebody has sneezed.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
odaiji ni
Did you know?
- In Japan, if someone sneezes, you might actually say nothing at all. While お大事に is a kind thing to say, it is more common to hear it from a doctor or a pharmacist than from a stranger on the street.
- Unlike the English phrase, which has roots in the belief that the soul could leave the body or a demon could enter during a sneeze, お大事に is entirely secular.
- Unlike the English 'God bless you', which focuses on a divine blessing, the Japanese お大事に literally means 'to the important thing'. It functions as a wish for the person to treat their health as a priority.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are studying together in a library.
- 蓮 Ren（くしゃみ）(kushami)(sneezes)
- 陽葵 Himariお大事に、蓮くん。O-daiji ni, Ren-kun.Bless you, Ren.
- 蓮 Renありがとう、陽葵ちゃん。Arigatou, Himari-chan.Thank you, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫？Daijoubu?Are you okay?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry お大事に, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
