Vocabulary
Toi, toi, toi!
/tɔɪ̯ tɔɪ̯ ˈtɔɪ̯/· phrase
good luck! (break a leg); touch wood
What theatre people — and everyone before an exam — wish instead of „Viel Glück“. By tradition you don't say danke back.
CEFR C1Frequency ●●●●●
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
Toi, toi, toi!
good luck (before a performance, an exam)
Morgen ist Premiere? Toi, toi, toi!
It's the premiere tomorrow? Break a leg!
Common combinations
- jemandem toi, toi, toi wünschento wish someone luck
- Toi, toi, toi für morgen!Good luck for tomorrow!
Similar & opposite
≈ Synonyms
Hals- und Beinbruch!Viel Glück!
Common learner mistakes
- „Toi, toi, toi!“ — „Danke!“„Toi, toi, toi!“ — (a smile, or: „Wird schon!“)Theatre superstition: you don't thank someone for toi, toi, toi. Many people still avoid it.
Real examples
- Toi, toi, toi für die Premiere!Break a leg at the premiere!
- Ich wünsche dir für die Prüfung toi, toi, toi.I wish you the best of luck for the exam.
- Bis jetzt ist niemand krank geworden — toi, toi, toi.Nobody has fallen ill so far — touch wood.
