Cheers in Italian
If you’re planning to visit Italy, you must know how to celebrate with Italian friends. Toasting is a very important part of socializing as it symbolizes connection, joy, and respect.
The act of making a toast in Italy is called fare un brindisi, and it goes beyond simply raising your glass: it’s about the words you choose, the gestures you make, the context, and the sentiment.
Whether you’re at a cozy family dinner, enjoying a night out with friends, or attending a formal event like a wedding, knowing how to toast properly will enrich your experience.
There are different ways to say cheers in Italian, each suited to the moment and the people you’re with. Let me show you how you can toast like a local in both informal and formal situations.
How to Say Cheers in Italian
Cin Cin!
One of the most well-known and widely used phrases for saying cheers in Italian is cin cin! This playful and universally accepted phrase is pronounced exactly as it looks.
You will hear cin cin in informal settings, like when enjoying a glass of wine with friends or during casual aperitivos. It’s a cheerful, easy-going toast that can be used anytime you’re raising a glass.
Fun fact: the expression cin cin comes from an old Chinese greeting brought to Italy by sailors and traders. Over time, it evolved into a beloved way to toast in Italian culture.
Alla Salute
When you’re in a more formal setting, like a wedding, a special dinner, or a formal event, you can use a more traditional toast: alla salute. This expression literally translates to “to health”, as if you were toasting to that.
Alla salute is a refined, respectful way to toast at important events and is especially common if you are offering a toast to the bride and groom at weddings.
Salute
The simplest and most classic expression you can hear and say is salute, which literally means “health”. This word is suitable for basically any occasion, in both formal and informal contexts.
This is definitely my favorite one, the expression that I use the most. It is a classic and more relaxed way of saying cheers in Italian while still showing respect and positivity.
Alla Nostra, Alla Vostra, Alla Tua
For more personalized toasts, you can adjust the phrasing depending on the group or person you’re with. What we basically do is cheering to someone’s health, but we omit the word salute.
For instance, alla nostra (to ours) comes from the expression alla nostra salute (to our health). It is often used in the context of shared celebrations, like toasting to a friendship, team, or partnership.
In the same way, alla vostra (to yours) is used when addressing a group, and alla tua (to yours) is used if you’re toasting a specific person.
It is also very common to follow the possessive adjective with a noun, replacing salute in the standard expression, for example:
Alla nostra amicizia!
To our friendship!
Alla tua felicità!
To your happiness!
How to Toast in Italian
Casual Occasions
During casual gatherings like a dinner with friends or an aperitivo after work, the typical toast you’ll hear is cin cin or salute. In these relaxed settings, toasting often happens at the beginning of the evening or when a new round of drinks arrives.
Cin cin alla nostra amicizia!
Cheers to our friendship!
These informal toasts are used to mark the moment and emphasize the shared enjoyment of the evening. But be careful! Italians are superstitious: do not cheer with an empty glass!
Special Celebrations
At more formal occasions like weddings, alla salute is more common. When we are toasting someone’s health or celebrating a significant moment, we usually stand, raise our glass, and acknowledge the person or event with a meaningful toast.
Vorrei fare un brindisi agli sposi.
I would like to make a toast to the bride and groom.
Making a toast at a formal event is often a moment of pause, allowing everyone to reflect on the occasion before sipping their drink. These toasts may be accompanied by short speeches or words of congratulations.
Toasting Etiquette in Italy
As I mentioned before, Italian toasts come with some unspoken rules. One of the most important elements of toasting in Italy is maintaining eye contact when clinking glasses. Not doing so is seen as bad luck!
Another rule is to avoid crossing arms while toasting. I know it is a small gesture, but Italians do pay attention to that.
Moreover, after making a toast, we use to take a sip only, and we never chug the entire drink, unless that is explicitly asked! However, in general we prefer to sip and savor our drinks, to appreciate the flavors and enjoy the moment with the people we are with.
