Responses to sneezing - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person's sneeze

Sneeze

A sneeze is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa...

is "(God) bless you

Bless you

Bless you, or God bless you, is a common English expression addressed to a person after they sneeze. The origin of the custom and its original purpose are unknown.An alternative response to sneezing is the German word Gesundheit....

" or the much less common "Gesundheit" . There are several proposed origins for the use "Bless you" in the context of sneezing.

In non-English-speaking cultures, words referencing good health

Health

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

or a long life

Life

Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...

are often used instead of "bless you", though some also use references to God.

List of responses in various languages

In Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...

, one says Shëndet (shuhn-det), to which typical responses are Faleminderit, meaning "Thank you", or Shëndet paç, meaning literally "May you have health".
In American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...

, it would be appropriate to do the Excuse-Me sign.
In Amharic, ይማርሽ (yimarish) for female or ይማርህ (yimarih) for male is said, meaning "may God forgive you". The person who sneezed then responds by saying ያኑሪሽ (yanurish) for female or ያኑርህ (yanurih) for male, meaning "may you live for long".
In Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

, "Gesondheid" ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze.
In Arabic , a response is صحة (Sahha), which likely evolved from the word صحة (Sihha), meaning "health" The response is either thank you شكراً (Shukran) or تسلم (Tislam/Taslam) which means "may you be kept safe". Another typical response (generally considered religious in origins) to a sneeze is to say Alhamdo lel lah/Alhamdulillah i.e. "All praise is for Allah (God)", after which a responder would say, يرحمكم الله (yarhamkom Allah) (God have mercy on you) and the answer is يهديكم الله و يصلح بالكم (Yahdeekom Allah wa yousleh balakom) (God guide you and make you right).
In Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...

, one says առողջություն (aroghjootyoon), which means "health".
In Azeri
Azerbaijani language
Azerbaijani or Azeri or Torki is a language belonging to the Turkic language family, spoken in southwestern Asia by the Azerbaijani people, primarily in Azerbaijan and northwestern Iran...

, sneezing is usually followed by the response Sağlam ol, which means "be healthy". Sometimes, Afiat is used, similar to the Persian response.
In Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...

the response is будзь здаровы / будзь здароў (Budz zdarovy / budz zdarou) directed to a male person and будзь здаровая (Budz zdarovaja) for a female. The answer is дзякуй (dziakuj, thank you)
In Bosnian, one says Nazdravlje, meaning "To your good health". The person who sneezed usually responds with Hvala, meaning "Thank you".
In Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...

, one says Наздраве (Nazdrave), which means "[to your] health" or "cheers". The person who has sneezed can then say Благодаря (Blagodarya), which means "Thank you".
In Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...

, one says Jesús or Salut. The person who has sneezed would then reply Gràcies for thank you.
In Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...

, one says "大吉利事", which literally means "a great fortunate occurrence".
In Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

, one may say 一百岁 (yì bǎi suì) (Mandarin) which means (may you) live a hundred years. You might also say 长命百岁 (chánɡ mìnɡ bǎi suì) (Mandarin) which may you live to 100 years. However others may frequently not comment on the sneeze; whereas the polite sneezer might want to follow up a sneeze with 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) (Mandarin) or 唔好意思 (Cantonese), meaning "excuse me" or "sorry".
In Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...

, Na zdravlje (almost always pronounced nazdravlje) ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze. For sneezer it is polite to reply Hvala meaning "thank you."
In Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

, one says Pozdrav Pánbůh, meaning in colloquial Czech "Bless God" or "Greet God", or Na zdraví, which means "To your health" and can be followed by the response Ať slouží ("May it last"). It is also less common to say Je to pravda ("It is true").
In Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...

, Prosit ("to [your] health") is said after a sneeze. The polite response is "tak" ("thank you").
In Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

, one usually says Gezondheid (literally translated as "health") or Proost (which means "cheers"). If the same person sneezes thrice, an informal comment would be (Drie keer) morgen mooi weer (which means "(Three times) the weather [will be] nice tomorrow"). This response can be made by both sneezer and non-sneezer.
In English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, the usual response is Bless you
In Esperanto, the usual response is Sanon (meaning "health")
In Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...

, the usual response is Terviseks (meaning "For your health")
In Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...

the usual response is Terveydeksi (meaning "For health")
In French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

the usual response is à tes / vos souhaits which means "to your wishes". If the same person sneezes again, one sometimes says à tes / vos amours, which means "to your loves." If the same person sneezes a third time, then he/she responds to the original greeter saying et que les tiens / vôtres durent toujours, which means "and may yours last forever." A more archaïc response would be Dieu te/vous bénisse ("God bless you"). Santé (meaning "health") is a common response in some French-speaking countries, including Switzerland.
In German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, Gesundheit ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze. This is sometimes used in the United States. The expression arrived in America with early German immigrants, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...

, and doubtless passed into local English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

usage in areas with substantial German-speaking populations. The expression is first widely attested in American English
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....

as of 1910, about the time when large numbers of Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...

immigrated to the United States.
In Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

, στην υγεία σου (steen eyia sue) is said meaning "to your health" or γείτσες ("healths").
In Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

, לבריאות (labri'oot, "to [your] health") is said after a sneeze. The polite response is תודה (todah, "thank you").
In Hindi, there are multiple phrases, one says हरी ॐ, "'Hari Om
Om
Om is a sacred syllable of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.OM and similar may also refer to:-Music:* Om , a stoner metal band* Om , a 1965 album* OM , a 2006 album* Om...

'" (the shortest mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...

referring to the universality of Om) or सत्यम, Satyam (sat'yam), meaning "truth" (also a shortened version of the mantra सत्यम शिवम् सुन्दरम, "Satyam Shivam Sundaram", meaning "truth (is) God (is) beautiful"), or colloquially जीते रहो "'Jite Raho'" (have a long life).
In Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....

, one says Egészségedre!, which means "[to your] health".
In Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...

, one says Guð hjálpi þér! ("God help you!"). There is also an old custom to respond three times to three sneezes like so: Guð hjálpi þér ("God help you"), styrki þig ("strengthen you"), og styðji ("and support"). This can be shortened to Hjálpi þér ("Bless you / Help you").
In Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

the sneezer will utter Alhamdulilah meaning God bless
In Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

, one says "Dia linn" ("God be with us"). The sneezer could say gabh mo leithscéal (gaw-maw -leshkale) meaning "excuse me."
In Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

, one says Salute! meaning "[to your] health"
In Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

, generally, nothing is said. However, one who sneezes could say すみません (sumimasen, sorry) or 失礼しました (shitsurei shimashita, excuse me) following a sneeze. A Japanese superstition says that if one sneezes, they are being talked about by someone, somewhere (like the American warm ears superstition).
In Kazakh
Kazakh language
Kazakh is a Turkic language which belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic languages, closely related to Nogai and Karakalpak....

, one can say Сау Болыңыз (Saw Bolıñız) meaning "be healthy".
In Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...

, one says Baoi.
In Kirundi
Kirundi
Kirundi, also known as Rundi, is a dialect of the Rwanda-Rundi language spoken by some 8.7 million people in Burundi and adjacent parts of Tanzania and Congo-Kinshasa, as well as in Uganda. It is the official language of Burundi...

, one says Kira, meaning "be healthy", and the sneezer then says Twese, meaning "us all"
In Kurdish
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....

,the response is kher be inshalla, which means it will be a good thing God willing. Many times when one sneezes they say the thing they are about to do will not happen. So when the person sneezes they say kher be which means a good sign hopefully.
In Kyrgyz
Kyrgyz language
Kyrgyz or Kirgiz, also Kirghiz, Kyrghiz, Qyrghiz is a Turkic language and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan...

, one says Акчуч! aqˈt͡ʃut͡ʃ (which may be based on an onomatopœia of the sound of a sneeze, like English "atchoo" discussed above), to which one may respond Ракмат!, meaning "thank you", if the person who said "акчуч" is liked.
In Ladino language, one says "Vivas," which means "may you live." After a second sneeze, one says "Crescas," which means "may you grow."
In Latvian
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...

, one says Uz veselību, which means "to your health".
In Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...

, one says Į sveikatą, which means "to your health". And person which sneezes answer Ačiū that translates as "Thank you".
In Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...

, one says На здравје(na zdravje), meaning "[To Your] Health". The person who sneezes usually says Здравје да имаш (zdravje da imash) which means "Have Health [yourself]", or just says Благодарам(blagodaram) "Thank You" or Фала(fala) "Thanks".
In Maltese
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...

, one says Evviva, which comes from the Italian "may he/she live" or "long live...".
In Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...

, one says Бурхан өршөө(Burkhan örshöö), which means "May god forgive you."
In Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

, if the sneeze is especially dramatic, Afiat Bahsheh (عافیت باشه) is said, "[May] Cleanliness/Purity be bestowed [upon you]".
In Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...

, one says 'िचरन्िजभी (chiranjivi), meaning may you live long.
In Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

, Na zdrowie ([to your] "Health" – meaning that "may it get you healthier") is said after a sneeze as is Sto lat ([I wish you] a hundred years [of health]).
In Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

one says Santinho, which means "Little Saint".
- In Brazilian Portuguese
  Portuguese language
  Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
  
  one says Saúde, which means "[To your] Health".
In Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

one says ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ (Waheguru), which means "Glorious Lord".
In Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...

, one says Sănătate ("[To your] Health") or Noroc ("[To your] Luck").
In Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

, the appropriate response is будь здоров(а) (BООD' zdah-ROV – to a male, or BООD' zdah-RO-va – to a female), which means "be healthy". It is polite to reply спасибо (spah-SEE-bah) meaning "thank you".
In Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

, i.e., Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, one says Prosit, from the Latin meaning "to your benefit". Originally used when toasting, today it is used only when someone sneezes.
In Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....

, Na zdravlje (almost always pronounced nazdravlje) ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze. For the sneezer, it is polite to reply Hvala meaning "Thank you."
In Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...

, Na zdravie ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze. For the sneezer, it is polite to reply Ďakujem meaning "Thank You."
In Slovenian
Slovenian language
Slovene or Slovenian is a South Slavic language spoken by approximately 2.5 million speakers worldwide, the majority of whom live in Slovenia. It is the first language of about 1.85 million people and is one of the 23 official and working languages of the European Union...

, Na zdravje (almost always pronounced nazdravje) ([to your] "Health") is a response to someone's sneeze. For the sneezer, it is polite to reply Hvala meaning "Thank You." Nowadays old-fashioned response to a sneeze would be Bog pomagaj, meaning "God help [to you]".
In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, one says Salud, which means "[to your] health" and Jesús (in Spain) referring to Christ (similarly to God bless you in English). If a person is sneezing in succession, on the first sneeze one still says Salud. On the second sneeze one may say Dinero (meaning "money"), and for the third sneeze one may say Amor (meaning "love").
In Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

the most common response to someone sneezing is prosit in which the sneezer respond with thank you.
In Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

, most of the sneezes are greeted with ஆயுசு நூறு, meaning " may you live for a hundred years"
In Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...

, the phrase is Chiranjeevi Bhava, which translates to "(May you be blessed with a) Life without death". Another widely used response is దీర్ఘాయుష్మాన్ భవ, which translates to 'May you live long'.
In Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

, a sneezer is always told to Çok Yaşa, i.e. "Live Long", which in turn receives a response of either Sen De Gör ("[and I hope that] you see it") or Hep Beraber ("all together"). This is to indicate the sneezer's wish that the person wishing them a long life also has a long life so they can "live long" "all together". For more polite circles, one might say Güzel Yaşayın, i.e. "[May You] Live Beautifully", which may be countered with a Siz de Görün ("[And may You] witness it").
In Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....

, the appropriate response is будь здоровий (BООD' zdoh-RO-vyy - to a male sneezer, familiar) or its variations: будь здорова (BООD' zdoh-RO-va - to a female sneezer, familiar), будьте здорові (BООD'-te zdoh-RO-vee - to a male or a female sneezer, formal), which means "be healthy". For the sneezer it is polite to reply дякую (DIA-koo-you) meaning "thank you".
In Urdu, the response is traditionally Al-hum-do-lillah, i.e. "All praise is for Allah (God)".
In Uzbek
Uzbek language
Uzbek is a Turkic language and the official language of Uzbekistan. It has about 25.5 million native speakers, and it is spoken by the Uzbeks in Uzbekistan and elsewhere in Central Asia...

, the response is Sog-buling, i.e. "Be healthy."
In Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...

, the response is traditionally Sống lâu, i.e. "Live long" which, like "Bless You", is an abbreviation of "Wish you a long life" or "Lạy Mụ" /layh-moo/, from the culture of Middle Vietnam, meaning "Mother Nature blesses you". A different response if the one who sneeze is a small child is "Cơm muối", which means "Rice and salt".
In Yiddish
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...

, one says זײַ געזונט after one sneeze; after subsequent sneezes, צו געזונט is said. Another response among Yiddish and Hebrew speaking Jews is אסותא . In another Jewish custom, a person responds to his or her own sneeze with חיים . (Pirkei D' Reb Eliezer, an apocryphal Talmudic source)

External links

The Origins of Popular Superstitions and Customs - T. Sharper Knowlson (1910), a book that listed many superstitions and customs that are still common today.
[ttps://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/CheckSymptoms/SATs/coldandflu.aspx?Host=Nhsd&SyndicationPartnerGuid=d19370ea-a100-407d-9695-b73407f701c7&TopicGuid=8c903315-a302-412a-bfae-9cb576d4b4cd Cold and flu advice] (NHS Direct)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

List of responses in various languages

Further reading

External links