(e) To wish someone joy of something:
Ich wünsche dir viel Freude an dem Auto.
I hope you enjoy the car./I wish you much pleasure with the car.
66.2 For good health
(a) To wish someone a speedy recovery from illness, say or write:
Gute Besserung!
Get well soon.
Werde schnell wieder gesund.
Get well/better soon.
Ich hoffe, du bist bald wieder gesund.
I hope you’re better soon.
Slightly more formally one might write:
Alles Gute/Beste Wünsche für eine baldige Genesung.
All the best/best wishes for a speedy recovery.
See 44.4 (p. 120) for the adjective declension after alles.
(b) If someone sneezes, say Gesundheit! ‘Bless you!’ (lit. ‘good health’).
66.3 For an examination
The normal way of expressing good luck is:
Viel Glück bei der Prüfung.
Good luck in the exam.
Alles Gute zum Examen.
All the best for the examination.
A more formal variant is:
Viel Erfolg bei der bevorstehenden Prüfung.
(I wish you) every success in the forthcoming exam.
66.4 For a new home
Alles Gute im neuen Heim.
All the best in your new home.
Viel Glück in eurem neuen Haus.
Good luck in your new house.
66.5 With food and drink
(a) The standard thing to say before starting a meal is Guten Appetit ‘bon appetit/I
hope you enjoy your meal’. This is used a great deal in Germany. The normal response
would be Danke/(Danke,) gleichfalls ‘Thanks/(Thanks,) you too’.
66
Expressing good wishes