gesundheit
See also: Gesundheit
English
Alternative forms
- Gesundheit
Etymology
From German Gesundheit (literally “health”), from gesund (“healthy”). The adjective is cognate with English sound, from Old English ġesund (“sound, safe, healthy”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡəˈzʊnt.haɪt/, /ɡəˈzʊn.taɪt/
- (Canada, many US accents) IPA(key): /ɡəˈzʊnt.hʌɪt/, /ɡəˈzʊn.tʌɪt/
Interjection
gesundheit
- (Canada, US) Said to someone who has just sneezed.
- 2000, Abby Frucht, Polly's Ghost: A Novel (Fiction), Scribner, →ISBN, page 55:
- I used to play a game with David and Douggie, Dennis and Drew — stop their sneezes midsniff just by placing my pinkie finger against their nostrils and saying gesundheit before it was time.
-
- (humorous) Said in response to a word that sounds onomatopoeically similar to a sneeze.
- 2010, Tangled (Disney movie)
- Flynn: "All right, Blondie."
- Rapunzel: "Rapunzel!"
- Flynn: "Gesundheit."
- 2010, Tangled (Disney movie)
Synonyms
- bless you
Translations
said to someone who has just sneezed — see bless you
Dutch
Etymology
From German Gesundheit (literally “health”).
Interjection
gesundheit
- Said to someone who has just sneezed, bless you
- 2000, Harry Mulisch, Gerrit Komrij, Adriaan van Dis, Maarten 't Hart, Remco Campert, Marga Minco, Hugo Claus, De Schrijver: een literaire estafette, De Bezige Bij, →ISBN, page 142:
- Ik bleef haar aanstaren en moest niezen. Zij bleef lachen en zei: 'Gesundheit.'
- I kept staring at her and had to sneeze. She kept laughing and said: 'Bless you.'
- 2015, Anne Tyler, De blauwe draad, Prometheus, →ISBN, page 96:
- 'Ja, dat mag. En neem Heidi even mee, alsjeblieft. Ze zit weer te niezen.' Heidi was inderdaad aan het niezen – een hele serie zachte maar spetterende niesjes. 'Gesundheit,' zei Merrick.
- 'Yes, that's alright. And take Heidi, please. She's sneezing again.' Heidi was sneezing indeed – a series of soft but splattering sneezes. 'Bless you,' said Merrick.
- 2016, Hans Bogaert, Echo, De Bezige Bij, →ISBN, page 60:
- 'Gesundheit,' zei hij toen ik moest niezen.
- 'Bless you,' he said as I sneezed.
- 2016, Marjolijn Uitzinger, De partijgenoot, Singel Uitgeverijen, →ISBN, page 147:
- Ik nam een te grote slok water en moest niezen vanwege de prik. 'Gesundheit. Maar er is nog een andere auto gevonden, in Lautenthal zelf.'
- I took too big of a gulp of water en had to sneeze because it was fizzy water. 'Bless you. But another has been found, in Lautenthal.'
-
Synonyms
- gezondheid