Worldwide terms for the sneeze sound and responds to sneezing
Created | Updated Aug 16, 2005
People all around the world use different terms for the sound a person produces when he/she sneezes. For example, English speakers use the word "achu" to refer to this sound.
Just the same, when a person sneezes, every language-speaker has a phraze (or phrazes) it is polite to say to the sneezer. For example, English speakers say "bless you".
This entry is meant to be a list of such terms, at least one from each language, so please send in your input!
| Language | Sneeze term | Sneeze response |
|---|---|---|
| Bembe (Congo) | Cube | Kuma (be well) |
| Danish | Atjuu (pronounced "a" as in "hat", "tj" as "ch" in "rich", and "uu" as "oo" in "Boo!") | Prosit1 |
| English | achu (the "a" is pronounced as the "u" in "mug") | Bless you Gesundheit2 (pronounced Ge'zoond-hait - where the 'oo' is like 'hood' and is likewise short but has the emphasis) |
| atisshoo | ||
| Finnish | Atsuu (pronounced 'ts' like 'ch' in 'rich', 'uu' like word 'you') | Terveydeksi (meaning 'to your health', claimed to be unpronouncable by English speakers) |
| French | Atchoum (pronounced 'Atchoom') | à tes souhaits (pronounced 'ah-teh-sou-ai') à vos souhaits (pronounced 'ah-voh-sou-ai', with "a" like in "pal" and "ai" like in "mermaid") If someone sneezes a second time just after you said 'à tes souhaits', you say 'à tes amours' (pronounced atezamoor) |
| German | hatschi (pronounced 'ha-chee' where the 'ch' is the same as in 'rich') | Gesundheit (pronounced Ge'zoond-hait - where the 'oo' is like 'hood' and is likewise short but has the emphasis) If you really want to mock up the sneezer, you may also respond by asking the group: 'jemand verletzt oder verschüttet?' (pronounced "yaemund fer'letst oder fer'shüttet?" 3 meaning 'anybody injured or buried under debris?') |
| Hebrew | hapchee (the is "a" is pronounced as the "u" in "mug") | livriut (correctly pronounced LI-VRI-UT, usually mispronounced LA-BRI-UT) |
| Japannese | Hakuchon | there is no standard response, however it is common to quote the old saying about sneezing if you hear someone sneeze: ‘sneeze once, someone’s talking about you. sneeze twice, someone’s talking about you and it’s not good. sneeze three times, you’re catching a cold.’ |
| Malagasy | ? | velona (alive) |
| Mende (Sierra Leone) | ? | biseh (Thank you) |
| Swahili | ? | kuwa (meaning 'health, grow up') |
| Swedish | Atjo (tj is pronounced like ch in 'rich') | Prosit |
| Atjooo (if it's a big one) | ||
| Tonga4 | ? | It is quite common for someone to say jokingly, after a sneeze, ‘Ikai ke nofo noa mua!’ – literally, ‘Not to be nothing , alas.’ |
Additional Information
- In European languages most sneeze terms date back to the time of the plague, when people would say 'God Bless You' or something similar in their own language when someone sneezed, as sneezing was a symptom of the plague. That's why a lot of languages don't have any response to sneezing.
1Originally a Latin expression2Originally a German word3There's a slight problem with the 'ü' as there's no English equivalent and the average native English speaker can't pronounce it. Try saying 'iiiii' as in 'siiiinging' and then, without changing your chin and tongue's position, change your lips into the shape which is also used when pronouncing an 'o'4It is unclear if this is the language spoken in the island of Tonga, or the Tonga language which is spoken in Zambia.
