What Does Saúde Mean? Say ‘Bless You’ and Make a Toast in Portuguese
Saúde literally means ‘health’ and is a familiar response after a sneeze as well as the standard word for ‘cheers’ in a toast.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Saúde means ‘health.’ In Brazil, it is a common, polite response when someone sneezes, similar to ‘bless you’ in English. The same word is used regardless of who sneezes; you do not change it for gender or number.
Say saúde after someone sneezes
The person who sneezed may reply with obrigado or obrigada, depending on the speaker. People vary in whether they say it, so do not treat silence as a sign of rudeness.
— Atchim! — Saúde! — Obrigada.
— Achoo! — Bless you! — Thank you.
Ele espirrou e todo mundo disse: ‘Saúde!’
He sneezed and everyone said, ‘Bless you!’
Saúde! Espero que você melhore logo.
Bless you! I hope you feel better soon.
Use saúde as ‘cheers’ when glasses are raised
At a celebration, saúde is also the everyday Portuguese toast ‘cheers.’ People may raise a glass and say saúde before taking a sip. The literal wish for health makes the two social uses easy to connect, even though English translates them differently.
A toast is optional and context-driven. Follow the group’s cue and use the word simply; a casual drink does not require a long speech.
Vamos brindar à viagem. Saúde!
Let’s toast the trip. Cheers!
Ela ergueu a taça e disse: ‘Saúde!’
She raised her glass and said, ‘Cheers!’
Um brinde aos amigos — saúde!
A toast to friends—cheers!
Put it into practice
Saúde literally means ‘health.’ Use it after a sneeze as a courtesy and when raising a glass as ‘cheers’; the social situation supplies the meaning.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “— Achoo! — Bless you! — Thank you”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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