How to toast in 50 languages
Attention, shoppers. For those of you who didn't get the memo, today is Friday and the start of the weekend. Many of you will spend some time in the next 48 hours in public houses while others will just hit the bahs.
It probably hasn't escaped your notice that Boston has become a more multicultural kind of place. So in the interest of providing our readers with news they can use, herein is a list of how to say, "cheers'' in 50 languages (with thanks to the folks at Matador Nights).
While it will be immediately useful to some, others, say, travelers, either actual or armchair, might also find the list useful or at least fun for your next trip, party, or even as a prompt for some educational role-playing with Your Significant Other.
Here's the list:
Afrikaans : Gesondheid! : (Ge-sund-hide)
Albanian : Gëzuar! : (Géschuar)
Arabic (Egyptian) : (Fee-sa-ha-tak)
Armenian : Armenia : (Gen-ots-it)
Azerbaijani : Afiyët oslun! : (Afeeyet Ohs-lun)
Basque : On egin! : (On egín)
Bosnian : Živjeli! : (Zhee-vi-lee)
Bulgarian : (NAZ-dra-vey)
Chinese (Mandarin) : (Gan BAY)
Chinese : (Cantonese) : (Gom bui)
Czech : Na zdravi : (NAZ-drah vi)
Croatian : Živjeli! : (ZHEE-vi-lee)
Danish : Skål! : (Skol)
Dutch : Prosit! : (Prowst)
Esperanto : Je via sano! Toston! : (YEH VEE-ah SAH-no/Tóston)
Estonian : Terviseks! : (Ter-vi-seks)
Ethiopian (Amharic) : Letenachin : (L’-TAY-nah-chin)
Farsi : (Ba-sal-a-ma-TEE)
Finnish : Kippis! : (KEEP-us)
French : A Votre Sante! : (Ah Vot-ruh Sahn-tay)
Gaelic (Irish) : Sláinte! : (Slawn-che)
German : Prost! : (Prohst)
Greek : (Stin Eyiassou/Stin Eye-ee-yass-ooh)
Hawaiian : Okole Maluna! : (Å’kålè ma’luna)
Hebrew : L’Chaim! : (Le Chy-em)
Hungarian : Egeszsegere! : (Egg-esh Ay-ged-reh)
Italian : Salute! : Cin cin! (Salu-tay/Chin Chin)
Japanese : Kampai! : (Kam-pie)
Korean : (Chukbae)
Latvian : Prieka! : (Pree-eh-ka)
Lithuanian i : sveikata! : (Ee sweh-kata)
Luxembourgish : Prost! : (Prohst)
Maltese : Evviva! : (A-vee-va)
Mongolian : (Erüül mehdiin tölöö)
Norwegian : Skål! : (Skoal)
Persian : (beh salamati)
Phillipines: Mabuhay (Ma-boo-hey)
Polish Na : zdrowie! : (Naz-droh-vee-ay)
Portuguese : Saúde! : (Sow-ooh-jee)
Romanian : Noroc! : (No-roak)
Russian : Boo-dem Zdo-ro-vee-eh)
Serbian : Ziveli! : (ZHEE-vi-lee)
Slovak : Na zdravie! : (Naz-drah-vee-ay)
Spanish : ¡Salud!/Salut! : (Sah-lud/Sah-lute)
Swedish : Skål! : (Skol)
Thai : (Chuc-dee)
Turkish : (Sher-i-feh)
Vietnamese : (chook-sa-koi-ah)
Yiddish : Zei Gazunt! : (Zye GAH-zoont)
Zulu : Oogy wawa! : (oogee-wawa)
- Anne Fitzgerald, Globe Travel Editor
- Paul Makishima, Globe Assistant Sunday Editor
- Eric Wilbur, Boston.com staff
- Kari Bodnarchuk writes about outdoor adventures, offbeat places, and New England.
- Patricia Borns, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs travel, maritime, and historical narratives as well as blogs and books.
- Patricia Harris, a regular contributor to Globe Travel, is author or co-author of more than 20 books on travel, food, and popular culture.
- Paul E. Kandarian, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs New England and Caribbean stories.
- Chris Klein is a regular contributor to Globe Travel. His latest book is "The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston."
- David Lyon, a regular contributor to Globe Travel, is author or co-author of more than 20 books on travel, food, and popular culture.
- Hilary Nangle, author of Moon Maine, Moon Coastal Maine, and Moon Acadia National Park, writes about soft adventure, skiing, cultural travel, and food.
- Joe Ray, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs food and travel stories from Europe.
- Necee Regis is a regular contributor to Globe Travel.
geez, you copy a blog's entire post and give them just a little link?
good work.
I think you should clarify that your using the Brazilian dialect of Portuguese in your pronouncement of Saude. The continental Portuguese pronounciation would be closer to: (Sa-ood)
Oogy wawa!
I'm pleased to see the Esperanto versions given here! Esperanto is a remarkable linguistic phenomenon, too often neglected.