Damon Mcknight
When drinking in Austria, the equivalent of cheers is prost, which comes from the Latin prosit, meaning to wish good health before drinking. Prost is used in the same way as cheers – when drinking with other people and clinking glasses. It's important to maintain eye contact when saying prost and to clink glasses with everyone involved. If you're drinking with a large group, you can simply raise your glass in their general direction. If someone says prost to you, say it back – don't mix your terms. You can also say zum wohl (to good health) or gesund (healthy).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Austrian equivalent for "cheers" | Prost |
| Pronunciation | Rhymes with "toast" or "boast" |
| Alternative | Zum Wohl |
| Translation of "prost" | To wish good health before drinking |
| Translation of "zum wohl" | To good health |
| Ritual | Clink glasses with everyone involved within reach |
| Make eye contact | |
| Do not start drinking until everyone has clinked glasses and said "prost" |
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What You'll Learn
The Austrian equivalent of cheers is prost
The Austrian equivalent of "cheers" is "prost". The word comes from the Latin "prosit", which means to wish good health before drinking. It is used in the same way as "cheers" is in English—when having drinks with other people and clinking glasses.
When saying "prost", it is considered good etiquette to maintain eye contact with everyone involved in the toast. This is an important rule, and you will be called out if you don't do it. Austrians believe it is bad luck, or may even result in "seven years of bad sex", if you don't look into the eyes of the person you are toasting with.
There are a few other rules to be aware of when saying "prost". Firstly, do not start drinking until you have completed the "prost" ritual. It is considered rude to start drinking before you have toasted everyone at the table and they have returned the compliment. Secondly, make sure you clink your glass with everyone involved in the toast (within reason—if it's a large group, just raise your glass and nod towards others).
Instead of "prost", you may also hear "zum wohl" (which sounds like "zoom vole"), particularly when drinking wine. This phrase means "to your health". Another alternative is "gesund", which means "healthy".
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Prost rhymes with boast
If you're toasting in Austria, you'll want to say "Prost!", which is the Austrian equivalent of "cheers". The word comes from the Latin "prosit", meaning to wish good health before drinking.
"Prost" rhymes with "boast", and it's used in the same way as "cheers" – when drinking with other people and clinking glasses. It's important to make eye contact when saying "prost" in Austria. In fact, some Austrians will tell you it's bad luck not to look into the eyes of the person you're toasting with. It's also considered bad form to start drinking before you've said "prost" to everyone and they've returned the compliment.
If you're drinking wine, you might hear people say "zum Wohl" (which sounds like "zoom vole") or "gesund", which mean "to your health" and "healthy", respectively.
If you're in a large group, you may be excused from toasting with each person individually. In this case, you can simply raise your glass in the general direction of the group.
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Make eye contact with everyone when saying prost
Making eye contact with everyone when saying "prost" in Austria is very important. In fact, it is considered bad etiquette if you do not look into the eyes of the person you are toasting with. Austrians believe that not looking at the person while saying "prost" brings bad luck and some even say that it is a sentence for "seven years of bad sex". It is also considered rude to start drinking before you have made eye contact with everyone and said "prost". This is similar to queue jumping in the UK, which is considered terribly rude behaviour.
If you are in a group of four people, you will say "prost" and clink glasses with every person while looking them in the eye. If there are people out of reach, you can simply raise your glass at them instead of clinking. If there is a large group of people out of reach, you may raise your glass in their general direction.
The word "prost" comes from the Latin word "prosit", which means to wish good health before drinking. "Prost" is used in the same way as "cheers" in Austria, when having drinks with other people and clinking glasses. It is most commonly used when drinking beer, but some people also use it with other alcoholic drinks.
So, the next time you find yourself in Austria, remember to make eye contact with everyone and say "prost" before you take your first sip of your drink!
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Clink glasses with everyone within reach
To say "cheers" in Austria, you say “prost” as you clink glasses with everyone within reach. "Prost" is the German equivalent of "cheers" and is used in the same way as in Austria when having drinks with other people. It comes from the Latin word "prosit", which means to wish good health before drinking.
When saying "prost", it is important to make eye contact with the people you are toasting with. If you are with a group of four people, you will say "prost" and clink glasses with every person while looking them in the eye. This is standard practice, and you will be called out if you don't. Some Austrians will tell you it is bad luck, or seven years of bad sex, if you don't make eye contact.
There are a few different opinions on who to clink glasses with. One source says that you should clink glasses with anyone drinking alcohol, and if there are people drinking non-alcoholic beverages, you should include them only if they are in the minority and look like they want to join in. Another source says that you should clink glasses with those drinking the same as you and do a general "prost" in the direction of others. If people are out of reach, simply raise your glass at them instead of clinking.
It is considered rude to start drinking before everyone has clinked glasses and said "prost". This is similar to queue jumping in the UK and is considered terribly rude behaviour.
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Alternatives to prost include zum wohl and gesund
When drinking in Austria, it is customary to say "prost" as you clink glasses with each person at the table. The word "prost" comes from the Latin word "prosit", which means to wish good health before drinking.
However, there are some alternatives to "prost" that you can use. You can say "zum wohl", which means "to your health" or "to good health". It is pronounced similarly to "zoom vole". "Zum wohl" is particularly appropriate when drinking wine. Another alternative is "gesund", which means "healthy".
When saying "prost" in Austria, there are some important rules to follow. Firstly, always make eye contact with the people you are toasting with. If there are multiple people, you should look each person in the eye as you say "prost" to them individually. Secondly, do not start drinking until everyone has clinked glasses and said "prost". It is considered rude to start drinking before the "prost" ritual is complete.
So, the next time you are raising a glass in Austria, feel free to stick to the traditional "prost" or branch out and try "zum wohl" or "gesund". Just remember to follow the proper etiquette and you will be toasting like a local!
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Frequently asked questions
The Austrian equivalent for "cheers" is Prost, which comes from the Latin word "prosit", meaning to wish good health before drinking.
"Prost" rhymes with "boast" or toast (in dialect-free British English).
Instead of "Prost", you can say zum Wohl (which sounds like "zoom vole"), particularly when drinking wine. This expression means "to your health". Another alternative is gesund, which means "healthy".
Austrians consider it very important to maintain eye contact during the toast and when clinking glasses. It is also considered rude to start drinking before everyone has clinked glasses and said "Prost".
