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Italian · At the Bar

Salute!

sah-LOO-tay · /saˈlu.te/

Cheers! / To your health! (also: bless you)

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"Health"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The all-purpose "to your health" — the toast that works in any company, formal or not, and doubles as "bless you" after a sneeze. "Alla salute!" or "alla tua!" (to yours) are common expansions. When in doubt at the table, this is the safe choice.

Heard in the wild

Salute e cent'anni!

Cheers and a hundred years!

Where it lands

Universal across Italy

Quick answers

What does "Salute!" mean?
In Italian, "Salute!" means "Cheers! / To your health! (also: bless you)". Literally it's "Health". The all-purpose "to your health" — the toast that works in any company, formal or not, and doubles as "bless you" after a sneeze. "Alla salute!" or "alla tua!" (to yours) are common expansions. When in doubt at the table, this is the safe choice.
Is "Salute!" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "Salute!"?
Say it "sah-LOO-tay" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: saˈlu.te.

Related in Italian

Cin cin! chin chin Cheers! Ubriaco fradicio oo-BRYAH-ko FRAH-dee-cho Wasted / blackout drunk Che sbronza! kay ZBRON-tsah What a bender! / What a hangover! Offro io! OF-fro EE-oh This round's on me! / My treat! Ci facciamo un goccio? chee faht-CHAH-mo oon GOT-cho Shall we grab a drink? Sono un po' brillo SO-no oon paw BREEL-lo I'm a little tipsy.

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "A rude toast".

how to say "A rude toast" →

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