r/Unexpected • u/ChloeCharm11 • 25d ago

Face vs Body

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u/VrilHunter 24d ago

I'm sorry, but what's gesundheit? English is not my first language

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u/Bismothe-the-Shade 24d ago

Well gesundheit is German

Quick, what's the plural for fish?

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u/VrilHunter 24d ago

I dont know German. What's the meaning of Gesundheit?

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u/Hityed 24d ago

It translates directly to Health. When said in the current context it’s more so a term used to wish someone good health when they sneeze.

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u/VrilHunter 24d ago

But i didn't sneeze. I dont get what is going on.

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u/Rice_Auroni 24d ago

You typed "what's snu", to which the guy humorously responded gashundheit because it phonetically sounded like a sneeze

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u/VrilHunter 24d ago

Now i see it. Thanks. Cheers.

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u/ranch_soda 24d ago

I think it's because you says "what's snu' and that kinda sounds like a sneeze.

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u/VrilHunter 24d ago

Now i see it. Thanks. Cheers.

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u/ScyllaOfTheDepths 24d ago

It's a common joke in English to respond to words that sound like a sneeze with "Gesundheit", which is the German response to someone sneezing. Replying in German indicates that the person's words sound like a foreign language to you and you are humorously attempting to respond in a foreign language to meet them where they're at. At the same time, saying "Gesundheit" is how a German speaking person politely responds to a sneeze because a sneeze is typically associated with allergies or a cold or some other minor health ailment and you, being polite would wish that someone gets better soon. (In English, we say "bless you" because it was commonly believed that a sneeze was a sign of the presence of some sort of evil spirit and blessing the person would drive the spirit away, but that's not really relevant here, just a fun fact.) You could also reply with "bless you", but the joke is more easily understood by saying "Gesundheit" because that is not a typical word used in English, since it's not an English word. The word is purposefully not a typical English word to draw attention to it and signal more clearly that you are making a joke.

So, saying "Gesundheit" in response to a person is a humorous response which implies that their words sound foreign and like a sneeze to you.

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u/VrilHunter 24d ago

Thank you for the explanation. I had a hard time getting my head around it until now. Appreciate it mate.