Response to sneezing



In English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person's sneeze is "[God] bless you", or, less commonly in the United States and Canada, "Gesundheit", the German word for health (and the response to sneezing in German-speaking countries). There are several proposed bless-you origins for use in the context of sneezing.

In non-English-speaking cultures, words connoting good health or a long life are often used instead of "bless you," though some also use references to God.

In certain languages such as Vietnamese, Japanese or Korean, nothing is generally said after a sneeze except for when expressing concern when the person is sick from a cold or otherwise.