Sláinte is an Irish Gaelic word that literally means “health” and is used as a toast, similar to saying “cheers” or “to your health” when raising a drink.

Quick meaning

  • Core meaning: health.
  • Common use: Said when clinking glasses, like “cheers” in English.
  • Usual sense: Wishing good health and well‑being to the people you’re drinking with.

How to say it

  • Pronunciation is usually given as “SLAHN-cha” or “slawn-che.”
  • It comes from the older Irish root “slán,” meaning healthy or safe.

Common variations

  • Sláinte mhaith – “good health.”
  • Sláinte is táinte – “health and wealth/riches.”
  • Sláinte chugat – “health to you.”

In modern usage, when people ask “what does sláinte mean in Irish,” they’re almost always referring to this classic drinking toast that literally means “health” but functionally means “cheers” and a wish for good health.

TL;DR: Sláinte in Irish means “health” and is the traditional Irish way to say “cheers” when you raise a glass.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.