saúde
/saˈu.d͡ʒi/
The Portuguese way to say God bless you is saúde.
In Portuguese, saúde is the most common and natural way to respond to someone sneezing, equivalent to saying 'bless you' in English.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word saúde literally means 'health'.
Which one should you use?
While saúde is the standard response to a sneeze, Deus te abençoe is the literal translation of 'God bless you' and is used more in religious contexts or as a sincere blessing.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of saúde is /saˈu.dʒi/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some Portuguese-speaking circles, if a person sneezes three times, the responder might say saúde, dinheiro and amor to wish them 'health', 'money' and 'love'.
- Because saúde is a noun meaning 'health', it can also be used as a toast, similar to saying 'Cheers!' when drinking with friends.
- The Latin root 'salūtem' not only gave us saúde but also the English word 'salute', showing a linguistic link between greeting someone and wishing them health.
Examples in context
- Quando encontrar alguém na rua espirrando, diga "Saúde!" ou "Deus te abençoe"When you encounter someone sneezing on the street, say "Saúde!" (Health!) or "Deus te abençoe" (God bless you).
- Ao despedir-se de alguém, você pode dizer "Que Deus esteja contigo"When bidding farewell to someone, you can say "Que Deus esteja contigo" (May God be with you).
- Saúde!Bless you!
- Saúde, amiga.Bless you, my friend.
- Ele espirrou, diga saúde.He sneezed, say bless you.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Beatriz are sitting in a quiet library.
- GabrielAtchim!Achoo!
- BeatrizSaúde, Gabriel.Bless you, Gabriel.
- GabrielObrigado, Beatriz.Thank you, Beatriz.
- BeatrizDe nada.You're welcome.
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.
