¡salud!
In Spanish, the way to say "bless you" is ¡salud! If unsure, use ¡salud! Wiktionary also lists ¡Jesús! and ¡santinos!
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¡salud! | |
| ¡Jesús! | Spain |
| ¡santinos! | Asturias, Northern, Spain |
The phrase is used to respond to someone who has sneezed.
What does it mean word for word?
The word salud literally means "health".
Which one should you use?
While ¡salud! is the most common way to say "bless you", it literally translates to "health!" as a wish for the person's well-being.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to say ¡Jesús! instead of ¡salud! Additionally, in Northern Spain, specifically in Asturias, you may hear the form ¡santinos!
Did you know?
- In some traditional circles, responding with ¡Jesús! is thought to protect the sneezer from evil spirits or bad luck. This reflects an old belief that a sneeze could momentarily expel the soul from the body.
- While ¡salud! is used for sneezing, it is also the standard way to say 'cheers' when clinking glasses before a drink. The word expresses a general wish for the other person's wellbeing.
- The word salud comes from the Latin 'salus', which meant both 'health' and 'salvation'. This dual meaning explains why the phrase can feel both like a medical wish and a spiritual blessing.
Examples in context
- ¡Jesús!Bless you!This example shows the use of ¡Jesús!Tatoeba #928545 by Shishir, translation #434328 by lukaszpp
- Él estornudó y yo le dije: ¡salud!He sneezed and I said to him: bless you!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are sitting in a quiet library.
- Elena¡Achís!Achoo!
- Javier¡Salud!, Elena.Bless you, Elena.
- ElenaGracias, Javier.Thank you, Javier.
- JavierDe nada.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bless you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
