Saying "Cheers" and clinking glasses

CHEERZ /tʃɪəz/
Informal Polite

What it really means

When drinks arrive, people raise glasses, say "Cheers!" and often clink. Making eye contact while clinking is appreciated. There are no strict rules like tapping the table or draining your glass — and importantly, no pressure to down your drink: British toasts are a sip, not a bottoms-up competition.

Chinese explanation
酒上来后,大家举杯说"Cheers!",常常碰杯。碰杯时有眼神交流会更好。没有敲桌、必须喝完之类的严格规矩——重要的是,没有"干了"的压力:英国的祝酒是抿一口,不是拼酒。

Example conversation

A: Right, everyone's got a drink? Cheers! B: Cheers! To your new job! A: I'll drink to that.
A:好,都拿到酒了吧?干杯! B:干杯!祝贺你的新工作! A:为这个必须喝一口。

What you could say back

“Cheers!”

Related phrases

All Customs & Etiquette
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake