chaim
chaim — 感嘆詞
1. A traditional Jewish expression of good wishes, said before people drink alcohol
乾杯；祝酒
猶太傳統的敬酒祝福語
A traditional Jewish expression of good wishes, said before people drink alcohol together. The full phrase 'L'chaim!' means 'To life!' and is used to celebrate happy occasions such as weddings, holidays, or a new achievement.
Eli raised his glass and said, 'L'chaim!' to his family at the Shabbat table.
Eli 高舉紅酒杯，對著安息日晚餐桌旁的家人說：「L'chaim！」
exclamation L'chaim! used before drinking in celebration
At the wedding reception, Devorah cried 'L'chaim!' as she clinked glasses with her grandmother.
在婚禮宴會上，Devorah 和祖母碰杯時大聲喊道：「L'chaim！」
The whole group shouted 'L'chaim!' before enjoying the champagne together.
大家一起大聲喊出「L'chaim！」，然後共同享用香檳。
Kwame smiled and gave a cheerful 'L'chaim!' to welcome his new neighbours.
Kwame 微笑著熱情地喊了一聲「L'chaim！」來歡迎他的新鄰居。
- cheers
General English toast, which is secular and not tied to Jewish tradition. 'L'chaim!' carries specific cultural and religious meaning.
- skal
Scandinavian toast, entirely unrelated culturally. Included only to show contrast with a different-language toast.
- salud
Spanish toast ('to health'), similar in spirit but from a different cultural tradition.
文法句型
often as interjection 'L'chaim!'
用法筆記
Traditional Jewish toast, used in Hebrew and Yiddish-speaking communities. The word literally means 'life' (plural form in Hebrew), and the full toast 'L'chaim!' means 'To life!' It is considered a warm and celebratory expression, not a religious command. The 'ch-' reflects a guttural /x/ sound similar to the Scottish 'loch' or German 'Bach'; many English speakers pronounce it as /hɑˈjim/ or /ˈxɑjɪm/.
常見錯誤
chaim — 名詞
- chaimsingular
- chaimsplural
1. An alcoholic drink shared for a toast among Jewish people, or the act of raising
敬酒；敬酒杯
猶太習俗中的敬酒或祝酒杯
An alcoholic drink shared for a toast among Jewish people, or the act of raising and drinking such a toast together on a happy occasion.
Noam invited everyone to the table for a quick l'chaim before the holiday meal began.
Noam 邀請大家到桌前，在節日大餐開始前先簡單地喝一杯祝福酒。
noun: 'a quick l'chaim' — the drink or toast itself
Shira poured whiskey and offered a warm l'chaim to the happy couple.
儀式結束後，Shira 為賓客倒上威士忌，並向這對新人獻上溫暖的祝酒。
My aunt insisted we could not start the celebration without a proper l'chaim first.
我姑姑堅持說，如果沒有先好好喝一杯祝福酒，就不能開始慶祝。
Haruki raised his glass and joined the family for a joyful l'chaim.
Haruki 舉起酒杯，加入家人一起歡樂地喝了一杯祝福酒。
文法句型
have a l'chaim
a l'chaim toast
用法筆記
Used as a countable noun in informal Jewish English ('a l'chaim', 'a quick l'chaim'). The noun sense is a back-formation from the toast expression — speakers treat 'l'chaim' as the name of the toast itself. The pronunciation /ˈxɑjɪm/ is typical in Yiddish-influenced English; younger speakers may simplify to /ˈhɑjɪm/.