French Toasts: Say 'Cheers!' and 'To Your Health!'
Learn elementary French toasts: Santé !, À ta santé !, À votre santé !, Tchin-tchin !, and Bonne santé ! with pronunciation, usage, and a short dialogue.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In French, a toast is usually short and often uses the word santé (health). The most common everyday toast is Santé !, which works like 'Cheers!' You can also say À ta santé ! to one person you address informally, or À votre santé ! to one person formally or to a group. This lesson teaches five useful celebratory phrases, when to use tu versus vous, and how to respond naturally. It does not cover compliments about appearance or character; the focus is only on toasting and celebrating.
By the end, you can…
- say 'Cheers!' and 'To your health!' in French.
- choose between informal and formal toast phrases.
- take part in a short toast exchange.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Santé !
Cheers! / (To) health!
sahn-TAY
The standard short toast. Use it with anyone, in any setting, when glasses are raised.
À ta santé !
To your health! (informal, one person)
ah tah sahn-TAY
Use with one person you call tu: a friend, a close colleague, a family member.
À votre santé !
To your health! (formal or plural)
ah voh-truh sahn-TAY
Use with one person you address as vous, or with several people at once.
Tchin-tchin !
Cheers! (clinking glasses)
tchin-tchin
Friendly and casual. It imitates the sound of glasses touching. Common among friends and family.
Bonne santé !
Good health!
bun sahn-TAY
A warm wish for someone's health. It can be a toast, but it is also used when someone is ill or recovering.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is À + [possessive] + santé ! The possessive changes with the person: À ta santé ! (informal singular), À votre santé ! (formal singular or plural), and À ma santé ! (to my health, unusual but possible). The preposition à means 'to' here. In fast speech, à ta becomes [ah tah] and à votre becomes [ah voh-truh]. You can also simply say Santé ! with no preposition. All of these are fixed, useful chunks; learn them as whole phrases.
When to use it
Raise your glass and say Santé ! or À votre santé ! when everyone is ready. Use À ta santé ! only with one person you already call tu. If you are unsure, choose À votre santé ! or Santé !; both are safe and polite. Tchin-tchin ! is best with friends, family, or relaxed colleagues. Bonne santé ! works as a toast, but it also fits get-well messages, so context matters. After someone toasts you, you can reply Santé ! or Merci, à toi aussi ! (Thanks, to you too!).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
On trinque ? Santé !
Shall we toast? Cheers!ohn trank? sahn-TAYÀ ta santé !
To your health!ah tah sahn-TAYTchin-tchin !
Cheers! (clinking glasses)tchin-tchinBonne santé !
Good health!bun sahn-TAYA little context goes a long way
In France, toasting is often brief. People usually clink glasses while looking at each other, and a short Santé ! is enough. Tchin-tchin ! is informal. In more formal or mixed company, À votre santé ! is safer. In Quebec and other Francophone regions, Santé ! is also common; Tchin-tchin ! is understood but may sound more playful. Avoid long speeches unless the occasion clearly calls for one.
One thing to watch for
Using À ta santé ! with a stranger, a much older person, or a group.
Try this instead: Ta is informal singular. For one person you address as vous, or for several people, say À votre santé ! Example: À votre santé, madame ! For a group: À votre santé à tous ! If unsure, Santé ! is always safe.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are toasting one close friend. Which phrase fits best: À ta santé ! or À votre santé !?
Show a sample answer
À ta santé !
Ta matches one person you address informally as tu. À votre santé ! would be formal or plural, so it is less natural with a close friend.
2You are at a work dinner and want to toast your manager, whom you address as vous. What do you say?
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À votre santé !
Votre is the formal singular possessive, so it matches vous. Santé ! is also acceptable and neutral.
3Someone says À ta santé ! to you. Give one natural reply.
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Merci, à toi aussi !
This returns the wish politely. Santé ! or Tchin-tchin ! also work in a casual setting.
For a simple French toast, say Santé ! Use À ta santé ! with one friend, and À votre santé ! for formal or group situations. Tchin-tchin ! is friendly and casual.
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