How to Say “Cheers” in 17 Different Languages

Raising a glass means a lot of different things to different people across the globe, but one thing stays true for just about everyone: It’s a time to celebrate and connect with those around you. And while people in the United States like to ring in holidays like the New Year with Champagne and a congenial “cheers,” different cultures around the world have their own distinct celebratory toasts. 

Here are 17 different “cheers”-style greetings from across the globe. While they all don’t literally translate to “bottoms up,” most are the go-to drink-clinking greeting for their respective region. From an old-school Spanish salud to a typical Korean toast, read ahead to see how to say cheers in different languages. 

Pronounced: Cheen cheen
Translation: Cheers!

Italians celebrate with the sound of glasses clinking when they wish each other cin! Cin! It’s a festive alternative to the more traditional cheers, which, in a similar vein as Spain and other Western European countries, is salute (or, “to your health”).

Pronounced: SLAHN-juh
Translation: Cheers!

Ireland is another country that commonly toasts to one’s health, with the term sláinte, which essentially means “to your health.” In this green, rainy country, you may also hear the phrase sláinte is táinte, which roughly translates to “health and wealth.”  

Pronounced: cheh-reh-FEH
Translation: Cheers!

There are several ways to give well wishes to your peers while drinking in Turkey (something that happens a lot, apparently). But the most common way (and the easiest to pronounce, by far) is the term Şerefe, which means — you guessed it — cheers!

Pronounced: Kan-pie
Translation: Cheers or dry cup or empty the glass

In Japan, an enthusiastic kanpai, which translates to empty cup, isn’t just a celebratory way to cheers — it’s also a respected pre-drinking ritual. So New Year’s Eve or not, don’t even think about chugging a beer (or sake) in Japan before everyone at your table has said kanpai!

Pronounced: Sah-lud
Translation: Health

While you might have already known that most Spanish-speaking countries like to clink their drinks to a cheerful salud, it seems the saying is popular for more than just a festive toast. You see, salud literally translates to “health” so it’s used to wish others good health and prosperity — which means you’re just as likely to hear someone say it after you sneeze as you would to ring in the New Year.

Pronounced: Prohst
Translation: Cheers

If you’ve ever spent time in Germany (or an Oktoberfest event, for that matter), chances are you’ve heard the term prost loud and clear. The most popular way to toast in German-speaking countries, saying prost is all but mandatory before knocking back a beer.

Pronounced: Sahn-tay / Ah vo-tre sahn-tay
Translation: To your health

Whether you’re sitting next to your boss or a stranger at the bar, if you want to make a toast in France, you say santé, which translates to “health.” It’s fine to use in both formal and informal settings, or you can also say à votre santé, which is the more polite way to say “to your health.”

Pronounced: Saw-OO-de
Translation: Health

Similar to the French santé and Spanish salud, the Portuguese prefer to drink to each other’s health by saying saúde instead of simply saying cheers. So the next time you’re about to enjoy a cachaça in Brazil, remember to say saúde before you start drinking.

Pronounced: Gun-bae
Translation: Empty glass

In Korea, the word 건배 (or geonbae) literally means “empty glass,” making it similar to the stateside expression “bottoms up.” And while the word implies that you should drink the whole of your drink after toasting, it’s not actually necessary.

Pronounced: Skawl
Translation: Cheers

Not only is it customary to say skål before toasting and taking a drink in Sweden, but you’re also supposed to look everyone in your party directly in the eye — both before and after you take a drink — to practice proper Swedish social etiquette.

Pronounced: Ge-sund-hate
Translation: Health

While the term “cheers” is commonly used in English-speaking parts of South Africa, the Afrikaan-speaking population has their own term to toast to: gesondheid. The word literally translates to “health” and sounds an awful lot like the German word for health (gesundheit), which isn’t all that surprising, considering the Afrikaans language has Dutch roots.

Pronounced: Gan-bay
Translation: “Cheers” or “dry cup”

Similar in sound to the go-to toast of the Japanese and Koreans, the popular way to cheer in China is to say gānbēi, which translates specifically to “dry cup.”

Pronounced: Ya-Mas
Translation: Health

If you ever plan on toasting someone in Greece (and why the heck wouldn’t you?), know that it’s customary to clink your glasses and say yamas. The phrase literally translates to “health” and, much like the toasting traditions of nearby European countries, is a way to wish good health and prosperity to your drinking buddies.

Pronounced: Nah zdrov-e-yay
Translation: To health

In Poland, there are lots of ways to raise your glass, but the most typical one is na zdrowie! It translates to “to health” or “bless you,” making it a multipurpose toast. 

Pronounced: Ta-gay
Translation: Drink

While there’s no direct translation for “cheers” in Tagalog, there are a few ways to encourage your drinking buddies to take a celebratory sip. You can say tagay, essentially meaning “drink up,” or you can say “shot na!” to tell someone to take a “shot now.” In the Philippines, it’s not unusual for a group of people to pass around one communal glass that they refill, which is also called tagay. 

Pronounced: Chone gay-ew
Translation: Bump glasses

If you find yourself in Bangkok for the holidays, be sure to commit this phrase to memory. Chon translates to “crash” or “knock against,” and gâew means “glass,” so the whole phrase is like saying “clink glasses.” Alternatively, you can say chai-yoh (ไชโย) which is more often used for special occasion toasts. 

Pronounced: Za zdorov’ye
Translation: For health

Whether you’re taking a shot of vodka or sipping on a glass of mead, here’s a classic Russian cheers to give. It translates to “for health,” which may be particularly fitting depending on how many drinks you’ve had. If you find yourself feeling a little under the weather the next day, despite your best efforts, try recovering the Russian way with one of these hangover cures, like drinking some pickle juice.