Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Health in Spanish: Salud
Salud · noun · sah-LOOD
Salud is the Spanish word for health. It is also famously used as a toast (cheers!) and as a response when someone sneezes (bless you!).
sah-LOOD
La salud es lo más importante.
Health is the most important thing.
How Native Speakers Use Salud
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
General wellness
Cuida tu salud, haz ejercicio todos los días.
Take care of your health, exercise every day.
Giving wellness advice.
Toast
¡Salud! Levantemos las copas por los novios.
Cheers! Let's raise our glasses for the newlyweds.
Making a toast at a celebration.
Healthcare system
El sistema de salud pública necesita más inversión.
The public health system needs more investment.
Discussing healthcare policy.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Salud
Spelling confusion
Incorrect: La zalud es primero.
Correct: La salud es primero.
Salud starts with an s, not a z — in Latin American Spanish these sounds can overlap, causing spelling errors.
Gender error
Incorrect: El salud es fundamental.
Correct: La salud es fundamental.
Salud is a feminine noun and always takes the article la.
Lock in Health Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Salud used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using salud in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear La salud es lo más importante. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Health in Spanish
- How do you say 'health' in Spanish?
- The word is salud, a feminine noun that also doubles as an exclamation meaning cheers when toasting or bless you when someone sneezes.
- Why do Spanish speakers say salud when someone sneezes?
- Saying salud (literally health) after a sneeze is the Spanish equivalent of bless you — it is a wish for the person's good health.
- How do you say 'healthy' in Spanish?
- The adjective is saludable or sano — for example, una dieta saludable means a healthy diet, and está sano means he is healthy.