na zdravie
/nazdravɪ̯e/
The Slovak way to say 'god bless you' when someone sneezes is na zdravie.
In Slovak, when someone sneezes, the standard response is na zdravie. Although English speakers say 'God bless you', which has a religious origin, the Slovak expression is secular and focuses on health.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase na zdravie literally means 'to health'.
Which one should you use?
While na zdravie is the standard secular response to a sneeze, other phrases exist if you intend to convey a religious blessing.
How do you pronounce it?
/nazdravɪ̯e/
When do people say it?
When someone sneezes, the culturally appropriate response is na zdravie. Using the English-style religious blessing is not the standard way to react to a sneeze in this context.
Did you know?
- The Slovak phrase na zdravie is also the standard way to say 'cheers' when making a toast. While English speakers use 'to your health' for toasts, Slovaks use this exact same expression for both sneezing and drinking.
- The structure of na zdravie is so common in Slavic languages that you will find nearly identical versions in Czech and Polish.
- The word zdravie shares an ancient root with the concept of 'strength' or 'vigor' rather than just the modern definition of being 'not sick'.
Examples in context
- Na zdravie!God bless you!This example shows how to use na zdravie as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #7551725 by felvideki, translation #269618 by CM
- Vážení hostia, srdečne vás vítam a prajem vám príjemný pobyt. Božie požehnanie nech je s vami!Dear guests, I warmly welcome you and wish you a pleasant stay. May God's blessing be with you!
- Ahoj Peter, dúfam, že sa cítiš lepše. Nech ťa Boh žehná!Hello Peter, I hope you're feeling better. God bless you!
- Povedal som ti: na zdravie.I said to you: bless you.
Example conversation
Jakub and Kateřina are sitting together in a living room.
- KateřinaApčík!Achoo!
- JakubNa zdravie, Kateřina.Bless you, Kateřina.
- KateřinaĎakujem ti, Jakub.Thank you, Jakub.
- JakubNemáš problém.No problem.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “god bless you” translations and entries na zdravie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
