salud
/saˈlud/feminine
The Spanish word for health is salud. Wiktionary also lists sanidad.
Meaning: state of being free of physical or psychological disease, illness, or malfunction (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| salud | /saˈlud/ | feminine |
| sanidad | /saniˈdad/ | feminine |
The word salud refers to a person's physical or mental state of being free from disease or illness. It is also used colloquially as a toast, meaning "Cheers!" or as a response to a sneeze, meaning "Bless you!"
Which one should you use?
While salud refers to an individual's personal state of being healthy, sanidad is used to refer to the public health system or the concept of healthcare services.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun salud is feminine, so it is used with the feminine article la (e.g., la salud).
How do you pronounce it?
/saˈlud/
When do people say it?
When making a toast with drinks, it is standard to say ¡Salud! to mean "Cheers!" Additionally, when someone sneezes, it is common to respond with ¡Salud! as a way of saying "Bless you!"
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you sneeze three times in a row, you might follow the first '¡salud!' with '¡dinero!' (money) and '¡amor!' (love) to complete a traditional sequence of wishes.
- The word 'salud' is the direct equivalent of the English word 'salvation' in certain religious or archaic contexts, as both stem from the idea of being 'saved' or 'whole'.
- The word salud shares a common ancestor with the English word 'salutary', which describes something that is good for one's health or well-being.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo está tu salud?How is your health?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's health using salud.Tatoeba #1458086 by marcelostockle, translation #6488913 by spudrucket
- Gozo de buena salud.I'm in good health.This sentence shows how to state that you are in good health using salud.Tatoeba #4372447 by pchamorro, translation #427777 by witbrock
- Él tiene mala salud.He is in poor health.This sentence demonstrates how to describe someone as being in poor health using salud.Tatoeba #5191606 by albrusgher, translation #47461 by CK
- Es fundamental cuidar nuestra salud.Taking care of our health is fundamental.
- El estado de salud del paciente es estable.The patient's state of health is stable.
- Es importante cuidar nuestro bienestar físico y mental.It's important to take care of our physical and mental health/well-being.
- ¡Qué sanito estás, no?You're looking pretty healthy, aren't you?
- Los alimentos orgánicos son muy saludables.Organic foods are very healthy.
- 278 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are talking about their new exercise habits.
- JavierEstoy caminando más para mejorar mi salud.I am walking more to improve my health.
- MaríaEso es muy importante, Javier.That is very important, Javier.
- JavierSí, la salud es lo primero.Yes, health comes first.
- MaríaTienes toda la razón.You are completely right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “health” translations and entries salud, sanidad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salud, sanidad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
