bless you

== English == === Etymology === Short for God bless you, from Middle English God blesse you, God blisse you. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈblɛs juː/, /ˈblɛʃ(j)uː/ === Interjection === bless you! Short for (may) God bless you: said as a short prayer for the recipient. (idiomatic) Said to someone who has just sneezed, as a polite remark. Synonym: gesundheit (idiomatic, humorous) Used to express non-understanding of someone who has just used an unusual or foreign word or phrase (as if to imply that it sounds like a sneeze). ==== Usage notes ==== Saying bless you after a sneeze is not considered particularly religious. The remark is used by and toward those who belong to a religion as well as those who do not. ==== Translations ====