How to say cheers - Slainte - prost - skål in different languages / countries - skål på forskellige sprog by Alternative Whisky Academy

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How to say cheers / slainte in different countries Slainte in different languages

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Salute , cheers and Slainte..
If you are out on travel, journey, holiday etc. and are drinking a great whisky , you may want to say cheers to the locals.
Here is a guide to you on how to say cheers in different countries.
Latest updated page with guide on how to say cheers can be found here -> http://www.awa.dk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=25

Country	Remark / explanation
A
Africa	Kenya - hey is Jambo / Swahili Maisha Marefu see swahili. Kikuyu (Kenya) Rathima andu atene South African : There are 11 official languages English - cheers Afrikaans - Gesondheid and try the word Amandla for the other 9
Agentina	(Spanish - Latin American) Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo
America	Cheers Wisconsin that has very strong German roots and everyone toasts, almost without fail; "Prost"
Albanian	Gëzuar / Gezuar or Shëndeti tuaj
Arabic	Fisehatak (to your health) / Shucram (United Arab Emirates)
Armenian	Genatzt (or Genatset / Genatsoot ("Life"))
Asturian	Gayola
Austrian / Austria	Prosit - Prost (German) / Zum Wohl
Azerbaijani Azerbaijani	Afiyæt oslun
AWA	AWA !!! klinke klanke glasset i bordet gentagne gange ... et AWA i en sætning udløser en skål.
Australia	Cheers ? Cherio

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Country	Remark / explanation
B
Bahasa (Indonesia)	Pro
Baluchi (Iran)	Vashi
Basque	On egin Topa
Belgian / Belgium	'Op uw gezondheid' is fine for the Flemish (Dutch speaking) part of the country but for the other half, the French speaking people, it's the same as for France 'A VOTRE SANTE', although there are of course many other expressions. Thanx to Patricia WRIGHT (Belgium / French)
Belize	(English)?
Bengali	Joy
Bolivia	(Spanish - Latin America) Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo
Bosnian	Zivjeli
Brazilian	Saude, Viva (Spain, France) Topa
Breton	Yec'hed mat
Brunei Darussalam	(Malay)?
Bulgarian	Na zdrave (to your health) (Nazdrave ?)

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Country	Remark / explanation
C
Canada	Cheers
Caribbean	?
Catalan (Spain)	(Spanish)? Salut Txin txin Sant Hilari, Sant Hilari, fill de puta qui no se l'acabi ("Son of a bitch the one that does not finish the cup", vulgar)
Chile	(Spanish - Latin American) Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo
Chinese	Nien Nien nu e. Kong Chien
Chinese	Yum Seng ("drink and win" Not : Yung sing was wrong - Sorry !) (Cantonese) Gom bui ("dry the cup") Chinese Gan bei ("dry the cup") Mandarin : Gan bei or Kong chien.
Colombia	(Spanish - Latin American) Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo
Cornish	Yeghes da
Costa Rica	"Pura Vida" (pure life) which they use for everything. Thanks to : Dale Leatherman (See also : Spanish - Latin American : Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo)
Creole	Salud
Croatian	Zivjeli (write a small v above the Z) Zivjeli / U zdravlje
Czech	Na zdraví (to your health)
Czechoslovakian	Na Zdravi, Nazdar

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Country	Remark / explanation
D
Denmark / Danish / Dansk	Skaal / Skål Bunden i vejret eller resten i håret (Bottoms up or the rest in your hair.)
Dominican Republic	(Spanish - Latin American)
Dutch (Netherlands) (Belgium)	Proost. Proost, Geluk, or Gezondheid Dutch (Flemish) Proost Gezondheid (to your health) In pure dutch (netherlands) you should say, 'gezondheid' but more common is 'proost'. Any othter expresion in any language can be and will be used. As long as we can drink it will be OK.

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Country	Remark / explanation
E
Egyptian	Fee sihetak Bisochtak
Esperanto	Sanon
El Salvador	(Spanish - Latin American)?
English	Cheers Cheerio (UK) - Lets toast Here's mud in your eye (UK, vulgar)(expr. may be from Bible, John 9:1-41) Bottoms up (USA) Down the hatch (vulgar) Hey howdy (Arizona, informal)
Esperanto	Je via sano (to your health) (constructed) Toston ("(I propose) a toast")
Estonian	Tervist (Teie) terviseks (to your health) (Teie terviseks)
Ethiopia	they says T'chen chen
Equador	(Spanish - Latin American)

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Country	Remark / explanation
F
Farsi	Ba'sal'a'ma'ti
Faroese / Faeroese	Skál
Finnish (Suomi) Finland	"Kippis" is indeed a good translation for "cheers", being very informal. "Maljanne" translates approximately as "A toast to you [Sir]", the polite form of address being implied by the suffix "nne". One might also say "n malja!", meaning "A toast to !". To say that these forms are never used in Finland is simply incorrect; their place is at a formal dinner party, for example. "Pohjanmaan kautta" might possibly be derived from a historical event: literally translated it means "By way of Ostrobothnia", and Ostrobothnia is precisely the way by which Finnish Jäger troops of the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion came back from training in Germany, to contribute to the victory of the "whites" in the Finnish Civil War. On the other hand, it might simply be derived from the fact that "Pohja" literally means bottom, therefore "Pohjanmaan kautta" means "bottoms up". Also, while "terveydeksi" does mean "to your health", it is to my knowledge used exclusively when someone sneezes, like gesundheit or bless you. It might, however, appear as part of a more elaborate toast. Thank you to : Ilkka Poutanen Kippis. Maljanne Kippis is the most common way to say cheers but "maljanne" is very rear. It is very polite way to say your toast. That is never used in Finland. There is also "Hölkyn kölkyn". It doesn't mean anything but it sounds funny. That is used when you want to be funny or if you want to make foreign tourists to laugh. "Pohjanmaan kautta" means bottoms up. Pohjanmaa is a large area in the north west Finland. "Pohjanmaan kautta" is widely used E.g when you drink vodka. Thank you to Juha Nieminen Kippis Terveydeksi (formal) (to your health)
French / France	A votre sante (À votre) santé (to your health) À la votre (response "And to yours") À votre santé / Santé
Frisian	Tsjoch (Netherlands)

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Country	Remark / explanation
G
Gaelic (Ireland)	Sláinte (to your health)
Gaelic (Scotland)	Slaandjivaa (to your health) Slainte mhoiz Slainte Mhor (Slainte vor) / Slainte Mhath
Galician (Spain)	Saúde / Chinchín / Saúde
Georgian	Vielen danke zu Dr.Wilram Tiemann : Der Georgier sagt: "vakhtanguri", wir sagen "prost", der Engländer "cheers" und der Däne "ska&ål". Dies ist nicht richtig. Der Georgier sagt zu einer Gruppe vonm Menschen: "Gaumardschoss". Dies bedeutet: "man möge siegen". Zu einer Einzelperson sagt der Georgier: "Gagimardschoss", das soviel wie "du mögest siegen" bedeutet. Also in kartuli ena (=georgischer Sprache) heißt "prost": Gaumardschoss. Michail Saakaschwili oder Aduard Schewardnadse würden nie: "vakhtaanguri" sagen . "vakhtanguri" sagen nur die im Landesteil Gurian lebenden Menschen. Diese haben auch einen eigenen Dialekt. Guria liegt im Südwesten von Georgien. Woher ich das alles weiß? Meinen Freund, ein deutscher Offizier, der mehrere Jahre dort leben mußte, wollte ich mit dem Wort " vakhtanguri" überraschen. Dann wurde ich aufgeklärt. Mit freundlichen Grüßen und "prost" oder besser "ska°l". Ihr Dr.Wilram Tiemann Most common : Gagimardschoss / Gaumardschoss Only in some parts of Georgien (Vakhtanguri)
German (Germany)	Prost (beer) Zum Wohl (wine) (to your health) Hau weg den Scheiss (vulgar) I would pretty much prefer the first (common) one as the second one is never used at all. You should remove it. 'Gruss Got' is used to welcome a person but not at all in the sense of 'cheers'. From Stefan Brede In Germany we have different ways to say "Cheers" or "Slainte", depending on the kind of drink as well as on the occasion. For BEER: "Prost!" (no matter at which occasion). For WINE: "Prost" with friends, "Zum Wohl" in a more formal environment. For COCKTAILS: Here we often use a toast, for example: "Auf uns!" (To us!) or "Auf Dich!" (To you!). For SCHNAPS: Here we often say something like "Und weg!" or "Hau' weg das Zeug!" (Down the hatch!), but "Prost!" is fine as well. For WHISKY: We never say "Prost!" with Whisky. Rather, we use "Cheers!" or a toast, like "Auf Schottland!" (To Scotland!). Old info : Prosit. Auf ihr wohl - Gruß got. - Prost ?
Greek	Eis Igian Stin ijiasas Jamas Gia'sou
Greenlandic	Kassutta ("Let our glasses meet") Imeqatigiitta ("Let's drink together") Kasugta
Guatemala	(Spanish - Latin American)?
Guyana	In Guyana, as well as Trinidad, the people speak english. So Cheers is the same in both those countries

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Country	Remark / explanation
H

Hawaiian	Okole maluna Okole malune Hipahipa
Hebrew	L'chaim ("To life") (Le'chaim)
Hindi	Apki Lambi Umar Ke Liye
Holooe	Kam-poe
Honduras	(Spanish - Latin American)?
Hungarian	Kedves egeszsegere Egészségedre (sing.) (to your health) Egészségetekre (plur.) (to your health)

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Country	Remark / explanation
I
Icelandic	Skál (Santanka nu)
Ido	Ye vua saneso
Indian	A la sature
Indonesia	Pro ( They sometimes say tos (sounds like "toss" back that drink))
Interlingua	A vostre sanitate (to your health) (constructed) A vostre salute
Ireland	Sláinte (to your health) In Northern Ireland (Ulster) there are three main offical languages : English,Irish and Ulster-Scots Cheers in Northern Ireland (Ulster) is Slainte! (to your health) in Irish AND "Guid forder!" (good luck) in Ulster-Scots. Thanx to Paul for information Irish Gaelic (Sláinte)
Israel	L'Chaim! (To Life!)
Italian / Italy	Cin cin (formal) Salute (informal)

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Country	Remark / explanation
J
Japan / Nippon	Kampai / Campai
Japanese / Japan	Kampai. Banzai Japanese most used : Kampai
Jamaica	?

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Country	Remark / explanation
K
Kikuyu (Kenya)	Rathima andu atene
Korean	Chukbae Kong gang ul wi ha yo Konbe

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Country	Remark / explanation
L
Latin	Sanitas bona (to your health) Bene tibi Latin American spanish : Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo
Latvian	Uz veselibu (Prieka)
Lebanese	Kesak (sing.) Keskun (plur.)
Liechtenstein	(German)?
Lithuanian	i sveikata (Not : I sueikata / Thank you Paulius)
Lithuanian	buk sveikas (Not: I sveikas / Thanks to Paulius)
Luxembourg	(French) ?

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Country	Remark / explanation
M
Macedonian	Na zdravje! (to your health). (Thanks to Natasha)
Malay	(Brunei Darussalam)?
Malaysia	In Malaysia the language is "Bahasa Melayu" (meaning "malay language"). As "Basaha Malaysia" it has been brought in line with Indonesian and the two are very similar now. Experience from the Eastern Malaysia in Sarawak, Borneo where for a toast they would simply say "Minum!". Which means "drink!". Simple but effective.
Maltese	Cheers Aviva (old fashioned)
Maori	Kia Ora is a Maori greeting, the equivalent of 'Hello' In general New Zealanders tend to emulate the Australians, they say 'Cheers' too. (See New Zealand as well for further information)
Mexican / Mexico	Salud (Spanish - Latin American)
Monaco	(French)?
Moroccan / Marokko	Saha wa'afiab

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Country	Remark / explanation
N
Netherland	See Dutch
New Zealand	Kia Ora is a Maori greeting, the equivalent of 'Hello' In general New Zealanders tend to emulate the Australians, they say 'Cheers' too. 'Cheerio' generally means 'Goodbye' Thanx to Graeme Buckley As a kiwi I just wanted to add to your section on how to toast New Zealand style. Kia Ora is a greeting as you say but means a little more than hello - it means 'good health' and is used in many contexts. Also while we do say cheers this is derives from our mostly English heritage rather than being an 'emulation' of Australians. To say the latter is actually a teeny bit insulting! Thank you to Wendy
Nicaragua	(Spanish - Latin American)
Norwegian (Nynorsk)	Skal Skål

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Country	Remark / explanation
O
Occitan	A la vòstra

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Country	Remark / explanation
P
Pakistani	Sanda bashi
Panama	(Spanish - Latin American)
Paraguay	(Spanish - Latin American)
Persian (Iran)	(Be) salam ati (to your health) Nush ("Enjoy it, and let it be part of your body")
Paru	(Spanish - Latin American)
Philippines	Mabuhay
Polish	Na zdrowie. Vivat Na zdrowie (to your health)
Portuguese	A sia saide Brazil (Portuguese)
Portuguese	Saude (to your health) Tchim-tchim Saúde (Brazil)(to your health) Tim-tim (Brazil)
Puerto Rico	(Spanish - Latin American)

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Country	Remark / explanation
Q
Quatar	Hmmm alcohol is not alowed here..

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Country	Remark / explanation
R
Rhaeto-Romanic	Viva
Romanian	Noroc ("Good luck")
Russian (CCCP)	No one says "Na zdorovje" as a Russian drinking cheer. This is increadibly widespread myth. It does mean "To you health", but they only sayy it as a reply to "Spasibo" i.e. "Thank you". Furthermore, there is no universal drinking cheer in Russian, however paradoxal it might sound. Sometimes they say "Budem zdorovy" meaning "Let's stay healthy". Which sometimes is shortened to just "Budem" (see Ukranian version). or "Chtob vse byli zdorovy", i.e. "Let everybody be healthy". Thanks to Dmitry Old index: Na zdorovje (to your health), Vashe zdorovie or Na zdorovia (Not used !)
Rwanda	See swahili

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Country	Remark / explanation
S
Sesotho	Nqa
Scotland	Slainte or Slainte Mhor (even more) Toast ir Cheers in Scotland is Slainte Mhath! (Good Health). The response is Slainte Mhor! (Great Health).
Scottish	Slainte. Here's tae ye
Serbian	Zivio Ziveli - In Serbian, cheers is 'Ziveli', pronounced 'zjee-ve-lee', meaning 'Let's live long!' (Old : Zivjeli / U zdravlje)
Slovak (Slovakia)	Na zdravie (to your health) / Stolicka! [stolitschka]
Slovenian	Na zdravje (to your health)
Somalian	Auguryo
South African (Afrikaans)	There are 11 official languages English - cheers Afrikaans - Gesondheid and try the word Amandla for the other 9 Gesondheid (to your health)
Spanish	Salud Chin chin amor y "Salud" although it can be used as a toast, it literally means "Health". Salud is also said when someone sneezes. Arriba, abajo, al centro, para adentro ("Up, down, center, inside", vulgar)
Spanish Latin American	Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo
Sri Lanka (Sinhala)	Seiradewa
Suomi (Finland)	see Finnish
Swahili	Afya / Vifijo
Svenska / Swedish	Skål - Skaal Helan går (Everything goes)
Swahili	The correct toast in Swahili (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda) is : Maisha Marefu (long life) Maisha marefu - good life or cheers ( Afya! Vifijo! )
Switzerland / Swiss	As you might know, there are 4 language-parts in Switzerland (Swissgerman, French, Italian, and Rätoromanisch) But that's not all, there are also a lot of diffrent dialects here. I'm living in the german part and speak a dialect called "Bärndütsch", so here we go: Cheers = Proscht, Zum Wohl, Gsundheit (the last two means to your health). For the other dialects it's mostly the same, only the accent changs a little bit. Thanx to Chrigu

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Country	Remark / explanation
T
Tagalog	Mabuhay ("Long life")
(Philippines)
Thai /Thailand	Choc-tee hallo or hey : Sawadekaa - (to male) Sawadekap (Female) Chook-die / Sawasdi
Tanzania	See swahili
Turkish	Serefe (write cedille under S) ("To honor") Sagligina (sing.) (write bars over g's, remove dots over i's) (to your health) Sagliginiza (plur. or polite) (to your health)
Trinidad	In Trinidad, as well as Guyana, the people speak english. So Cheers is the same in both those countries

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Country	Remark / explanation
U
Uganda	See swahili
Ukrainian	In Ukraine we say 'Budmo!'. This means approximately 'shall we live forever!' Usually, one person says 'Budmo!' and everybody at the table/party answers 'Hey!' (the meaning is straightforward). This repeats for up to 3 times depending on the mood of the crowd. Only then, everybody empties their glasses. Thank you to : Olena Linnyk. (Old : Na zdorov'ya)
United Arab Emirates (Arab)	Shucram
United Kingdom	Cheers
United States of America /USA	Cheers (se also American)
Urdu (Pakistan)	Djam
Uruguay	(Spanish - Latin American)
Uyghur	Hoshe (Cheers) Salametlikingiz ucun (For your health) Thank you to : Memet Tursun Zunun

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Country	Remark / explanation
V
Venezuela	(Spanish - Latin American)
Vietnamese	Chia Can chén (write dot under a) (North V.N.) Can ly (write dot under a) (South V.N.)

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Country	Remark / explanation
W
Welsh	Iechyd da Iechyd da
Wales	(Welsh)

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Country	Remark / explanation
X

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Country	Remark / explanation
Y
Yiddish Mazel tov	Lechaym (Lechaim)
Yugoslavian	Ziveo / Ziveli (Though country is split up now word is still in use.)

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Country	Remark / explanation
Z
Zimbbabwe	?
Zulu	Oogy wawa (ooggywawa or oogywawa)

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If you didn't find what you were looking for, missed info ? - perhaps you should try out a search engine , the ultimative whisky link pages or perhaps even try to read a good old book about whisky.
This page is currently very much under construction - if we missed a cheers in a language you know please send us an e-mail.

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