# Sto lat



## perpend

I was at a Polish place this evening, and it was someone's birthday (a group of maybe 6-8 Polish people), and all of the sudden they started singing a song.

I googled it, and I'm pretty sure I found it.

"Sto lat".
"*Sto lat*" (One Hundred Years) is a traditional Polish song that is sung to express good wishes, good health and long life to a person.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sto_lat

It reminded me of a German birthday song "Hoch soll er/sie leben".

My question is whether "Sto lat" can be used also for a sneeze in Polish, as the Wikipedia article (link above) says.
_However, the use of "Sto lat!" in this manner will often lead to the  song being sung by those present. The phrase is also sometimes used to  acknowledge someone's sneezing - similarly to "God bless you", though  for that particular occasion a simple na zdrowie ("To your health") is more frequently used._


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## jasio

You quoted a phrase too much, which made me think that people sing "sto lat" song acknowledging sneezing,  which is NOT the case (the quoted sentence is a continuation of the previous one, about toasts). 

But saying mere "Sto lat!" on such occasion - yes, it happens, although indeed "na zdrowie" sounds more natural and frequent in such situations.


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## perpend

That would be funny if they sang the song when you sneeze!

Sorry for any confusion, but thanks for the confirmation (of the Wikipedia statement), jasio.


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## Ben Jamin

jasio said:


> But saying mere "Sto lat!" on such occasion - yes, it happens, although indeed "na zdrowie" sounds more natural and frequent in such situations.


 Never heard anybody saying "Sto lat!" for a sneeze. Maybe it is a regional or a new trend.


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## Leafka

I have never heard it being used in such context, either.


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## jasio

perpend said:


> That would be funny if they sang the song when you sneeze!



People happen to have more exotic habits. 



Ben Jamin said:


> Never heard anybody saying "Sto lat!" for a sneeze. Maybe it is a regional or a new trend.



I've heard, but it's not common indeed.


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## Thomas1

I confirm that "sto lat(!)" is also used when someone sneezes. I've come across it quite regularly for a while, though not as often as "na zdrowie(!)". Judging from some contributions to this thread, however, it may be limited (similarly to the English  "Gesundheit").


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## Leafka

I have only _read_ it can be used in such a situation  I live in western Poland.


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## m0ck

I've also heard sto lat used when sneezing but it's not common usage.


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## dreamlike

I think I might have heard "Sto lat!" used for a sneeze once or twice, Perpend, but you're far better off with the well-established "Na zdrowie!", as the Wiki article you quote suggests.


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## perpend

Okay---thanks everyone. That was very helpful!


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## dn88

You are more likely to hear "Sto lat!" as a response to the second sneeze when someone sneezes twice within a short time frame:

A: Ah-choo!
B: Na zdrowie!
A: Ah-choo! (sneezes again)
B: Sto lat!

If someone sneezes just once, you usually hear "Na zdrowie!"


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