צו געזונט
tsu gezunt
The English phrase "God bless you" can be translated into Yiddish as צו געזונט (tsu gezunt). Wiktionary also lists אַסותא (asuse).
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| Yiddish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| צו געזונט | tsu gezunt | |
| אַסותא | asuse | /aˈsʊsə/ (Northeastern, YIVO) /aˈsisə/ |
Both forms are used as a response to someone who has sneezed. צו געזונט is the standard social etiquette response for this situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase צו געזונט literally means to health.
Which one should you use?
צו געזונט is the most common way to respond to a sneeze. אַסותא serves as a more formal or traditional alternative derived from Hebrew.
How do you pronounce it?
tsu gezunt
Did you know?
- While צו געזונט means 'to health' in the context of a sneeze, it can also be used as a toast before drinking, similar to the English phrase 'cheers'.
- The word אַסותא refers specifically to a 'cure' or 'remedy', implying that the sneeze is a symptom to be healed rather than just an event to be blessed.
- Unlike the English 'god bless you', the most common Yiddish response צו געזונט makes no mention of a deity, focusing instead on the physical state of health.
Examples in context
- אַסותא!God bless you!This is useful for seeing the exclamation אַסותא.Tatoeba #10624002 by shekitten, translation #269618 by CM
- אַסותא.God bless you.This is useful for seeing the period used with אַסותא.Tatoeba #10624004 by shekitten, translation #5418175 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Menachem are sitting in a living room.
- שרה Saraאַטשוו!Atchoo!Achoo!
- מנחם Menahemצו געזונט, שרה!Tsu gezunt, Sarah!Bless you, Sarah!
- שרה Saraאַ דאַנק, מנחם.A dank, Menachem.Thank you, Menachem.
- מנחם Menahemנישט פֿאַר אַסוך.Nisht far asukh.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God bless you” translations and entries אַסותא, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אַסותא, געזונט, צו, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
