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Before I start, I want to point out that although I want to learn Russian, my current level is 0.

I recently saw the movie "The Deer Hunter" (Great movie). One of the characters is of russian ascendence, and in the beggining there is a wedding full of toasts, in them, they always say the same, which I could transcribe as:

наше здоровье

I guess that здоровье is neutral gender so they use наше. My question is if this is what is actually used. Reading the russian wikipedia page for toast (тост), I've seen that they use the second plural person, either:

ваше здоровье

or

за ваше здоровье

I just want to ask, given the fact that they're all gramatically correct (if I'm wrong in this point tell me), which one is really used as a standard sentence, which one is the one people use without thinking...

If using any person is normally seen, then I guess dedicating it to only one person "за твоë здоровье" would be correct too, wouldn't it?

Thanks.

MyUserIsThis
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2 Answers2

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Before I start, I want to point out that although I want to learn Russian, my current level is 0.

From your question, it seems your Russian is not at zero level :)

I guess that здоровье is neutral gender so they use наше.

Correct.

My question is if this is what is actually used.

I wouldn't know unless you could provide a link to the relevant part for us to hear.

I just want to ask, given the fact that they're all gramatically[sic] correct (if I'm wrong in this point tell me),

No, you're right, they're all grammatically correct.

which one is really used as a standard sentence, which one is the one people use without thinking...

All of the following are very common:

  • За Вас! (За тебя!)
  • Ваше здоровье! (Tвое здоровье!)
  • За ваше здоровье! (За твое здоровье!)

I can't say that (За) наше здоровье is very common, although can be perfectly valid in certain contexts.

if using any person is normally seen, then I guess dedicating it to only one person "за твоë здоровье" would be correct too, wouldn't it?

Correct. Moreover, when, for example, toasting a friend, not only is за твое здоровье correct too, but using the plural or the honorary may sound a bit awkward unless used for humorous effect.

Hope this helped.

[Update:] Indeed, you must have heard

На здоровье!

It is a set phrase and you shouldn't dissect it into its constituents. This is a foreign cliche of how Russians toast. I have never heard anyone toast with this phrase, although I have been told by native speakers that this is indeed sometimes used. Comments under this answer do not agree. Therefore, because it is debatable, it's best to avoid using this phrase for toasting.

This phrase has another meaning and is often used when saying "you're welcome" after being thanked for a meal/drink.

Спасибо за пирожки!

На здоровье!

Armen Tsirunyan
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  • Really helped, thank you. Actually, from the film, what I first understood was: на здоровье, but I couldn't understand the word на (in) used there, and after reading the wikipedia, I concluded that I wasn't listening right and it was наше. But now from trying to translate using google from spanish (my language) the equivalent (A tu salud), it's giving me на здоровье. Is this correct? Is it just an idiom? Does it make gramatical sense? – MyUserIsThis Oct 14 '13 at 21:49
  • @MyUserIsThis: Indeed, it's a common phrase. See my edit – Armen Tsirunyan Oct 14 '13 at 21:52
  • Usually what you hear in foreign movies, and what foreigners say having learned from the movies, is на здоровье (nazdrovia), which is in fact never used as a toast, but as an equivalent of пожалуйста. – jwalker Oct 14 '13 at 21:53
  • @jwalker: I had thought it was never used too, but after being repeatedly told by native Russian speakers that it is in fact used, I gave up and assumed that it's just me that never heard it :) – Armen Tsirunyan Oct 14 '13 at 21:54
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    @Armen: Personally I've never heard that. За здоровье is widely used, but not на здоровье. – jwalker Oct 14 '13 at 22:00
  • @MyUserIsThis: And they never listen THAT kind of "Russian" music :) – jwalker Oct 14 '13 at 22:04
  • @jwalker What music are you talking about? I didn't say anything about music... – MyUserIsThis Oct 14 '13 at 22:07
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    @MyUserIsThis: The wedding in the film. The "Russian" cliches in American movies are beard, vodka, nazdrovia and Ashkenazi music. Well, vodka may be a correct one :) – jwalker Oct 14 '13 at 23:02
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    @MyUserIsThis Though Armen says that "на здоровье" is a valid toast, most of the people I know (including myself) will think that it comes from American movies about Russians. So I would strongly recommend a foreigner to avoid using this toast. Use "За ваше/наше/твое здоровье" instead. – Artemix Oct 15 '13 at 09:15
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    @jwalker Not being american, I'm pretty aware of how cliches are absolutely wrong... That actually was one of the reasons to make this quetion. – MyUserIsThis Oct 15 '13 at 09:47
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    @Artemix, MyUserIsThis: I edited to warn against using на здоровье for toasting. – Armen Tsirunyan Oct 15 '13 at 09:53
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На здоровье! used all the time when toasting. I just double checked with my Russian wife and her Russian girlfriend and they confirm it is not just Americans who use На здоровье!

when saying "you're welcome" after being thanked for a meal/drink - Again from my experience in St Petersburg, most people say 'пожалуйста' for you're welcome, but it is possible to use 'На здоровье' (although I have not heard very often)

mark mitchell
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    Disagree. "На здоровье!" as a toast is possible only as a joke. Please check the comments above. Probably you wife meant "За здоровье!". – TT_ stands with Russia Jan 07 '14 at 15:17