There is a common saying that goes, “If you have good health, you have everything.”
While those of us who are in good health readily take our physical and mental fitness for granted, just ask someone struggling with poor health and they’ll tell you they would trade anything to have a healthy body and mind.
For this reason, good health and happiness is the purest, most generous thing we could wish for someone.
And there are a wide variety of circumstances in which wishing someone good health is appropriate.
You might wish someone good health and happiness as part of a formal greeting.
Or, if someone is sick or has recently had surgery, it of course makes sense to wish them good health as a way of wishing them a speedy recovery.
You might also wish someone good health as a way of ending or beginning a formal email.
In many cultures, it is customary to wish elders good health when you greet them, and in the US, it is encouraged to send grandparents and older relatives cards to mark important occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
Including a wish of good health in those cards never goes amiss.
This article will walk you through a variety of ways to wish someone good health in all these circumstances.
27 ways to wish someone good health
- I wish you and yours good health and happiness.
- To your good health!
- May God bless you and your family with good health.
- May you be blessed with good health, success, and happiness.
- May the universe grant you good health and a long and happy life.
- I wish you good health and every happiness for this next phase of your life.
- Happy birthday! May this next year of your life bring you good health, good fortune, and many wonderful experiences.
- Take care! Best wishes for your good health.
- I hope this email finds you in good health.
- I hope this finds you well!
- All the best to you and yours. Wishing you all good health and happiness.
- You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers, and I am sending you all the get well and good health wishes I possibly can!
- I was so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but I have no doubt you’ll fight this off the same way you’ve conquered every challenge you’ve ever faced. May the next phase of your life be characterized by good health.
- May God bless you with good health after this difficult period of sickness.
- Bad luck with being sick, bro. I’m sure you’ll be in good health in no time, and I can’t wait to hit the town with you when you are.
- I’m so glad the procedure went well. I’m thinking of you and wishing you good health.
- You’ve made it through the hard part––now for recovery. Take things one step at a time and know that every day that passes marks a day closer to good health.
- Well done on staying strong while awaiting surgery. It’s all uphill from here. I’m sure you’ll be restored to perfect health in no time.
- Thinking of you and wishing you good health and a quick recovery.
- Wishing you a speedy return to good health!
- Welcome to good health, population: you, so very soon! Wishing you a speedy recovery.
- Get well soon! I’m sure you’ll be in perfect health again in no time at all.
- To the most beautiful, youthful grandmother out there, Happy Birthday! Wishing you many more years of good health and happiness.
- Dear Grandpa, thank you so much for everything you do for us. I wish you all the best for this next year and am raising a glass to your continued good health.
- Dear Auntie, thank you for all the wisdom you have shared with me over the years. I wish you another sixty years of good health, happiness, and story-worthy experiences!
- Dear Dad, you are the guiding light of my life, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for our close relationship. May God continue to bless you with excellent health, a great sense of humor, and an insatiable desire for adventure. Happy birthday!
- To my dearest mother on her 70th birthday, there are no words to express how grateful I am for your care and support, so I will just wish you continued good health. Your smile still lights up every room you enter, and we all love you so much.
How to wish someone good health formally
Wishing someone good health is necessarily a more formal expression than we might use when talking to our nearest and dearest about the fact that they’re under the weather.
For example, if you wanted to tell a friend that you hope they feel better when they are sick, you probably wouldn’t send them a text saying, “I wish you good health.”
You’d be much more likely to say something like, “Aw, sorry you’re feeling crappy, hope you feel better soon.”
But even though the term “good health” carries a certain formality with it anyway, you may not be quite sure how to use it in a formal context.
How do you express to someone you aren’t close to that you hope they get well soon?
Well, here are a few ways you could do just that.
1. I wish you and yours good health and happiness.
This would make an excellent inscription in a Christmas card that you are sending to a work colleague you aren’t especially close to—or to anyone with whom you communicate in more formal terms.
The phrase “you and yours” essentially means “you and the people you hold dear.”
It is a way of extending a wish to someone’s friends and family without having to name the individual people.
However, while “you and yours” can technically be used to refer to any people the person you’re speaking to cares about, it is usually used to refer to family members, and specifically immediate family members.
For this reason, this way of wishing someone “good health” formally would be most appropriately used when communicating with someone who is married with children.
2. To your good health!
This is often used at the end of a toast at a wedding, birthday, or other formal occasion.
It is a shortening of the expression, “To your good health.”
This is now such a common way of ending a formal toast that it has almost lost its meaning of referring to the state of someone’s health.
Really, this just means, “I wish you the best for the future.”
However, if you’re wondering how to end a speech you have been asked to give at a dinner dedicated to a specific person or people, this is a great and appropriate option.
3. May God bless you and your family with good health.
This is an excellent thing to inscribe in a card, to end a letter with, or even to say in passing to someone you have a formal relationship with.
This way of wishing someone good health is usually used around holidays, birthdays, graduations, weddings, or at the turn of the year.
4. May you be blessed with good health, success, and happiness.
This is an excellent thing to write in the card you give a couple alongside money or a gift at their wedding.
Weddings are momentous, formal occasions. They mark the joining together of two lives, and they offer a good opportunity to offer people sincere wishes of good will that might otherwise seem too serious or over-the-top.
So, if you find yourself wanting to tell your friend who is getting married just how much you are wishing them the very best of luck for their new life, including this formal wish in your wedding card to them is a nice way to do so.
5. May the universe grant you good health and a long and happy life.
This way of wishing someone good health carries many of the same implications as the last one.
In many ways, this is a secular, modernized version of wishing, “May God grant you good health.”
While many people of faith will still appreciate a wish of good health with religious implications, there are other people who have distanced themselves from the church and might not like the religious undertones of the original sentiment.
So, if you know that the person you are speaking to is either an atheist, agnostic, or just not that into religion, replacing the word “God” with “universe” is a good way to go.
6. I wish you good health and every happiness for this next phase of your life.
In today’s casual, modern age, formal language is often only required during traditional occasions or at highly ceremonial events. Most of the time, we all speak to each other fairly casually.
It is not uncommon for bosses to speak to their employees like friends, and even workplace chat has changed.
For example, most companies encourage people to say things that would once have been considered much too informal, like “touch base,” in business correspondence.
And yet, despite all our newfound informality, big events in a person’s life—including birthdays, marriage, or even leaving a job (think of the formality of the phrase like, “Wishing you the best in your future endeavors”)—seem to bring us right back to old-fashioned, formal language.
Because this kind of formal language seems to come out almost exclusively at these milestone events, it is often appropriate to add on “for this next phase of your life” at the end of this kind of good wish.
7. Happy birthday! May this next year of your life bring you good health, good fortune, and many wonderful experiences.
Birthdays probably take the cake (literally!) for the occasions at which we all most regularly express formal wishes of good health.
Here is an example of a standard birthday greeting that includes the wish for good health.
This way of wishing someone good health would do well as the inscription in a card, or simply spoken out loud as part of a toast at a birthday party.
8. How to wish someone good health in a formal email
In the new, fast-paced (and fast-growing!) world of tech companies and young, entrepreneurial start-ups, informal language in email communication has become the norm.
However, outside of that bubble, many people still choose to keep the language of their emails formal.
Often, this is because the sender doesn’t know the recipient personally.
If, for example, you are writing to someone you don’t know very well to ask their opinion about a business-related issue, you would still be more likely to say, “please advise” than, “so whaddaya think?”
If you don’t know someone, it is always safer to err on the side of caution and stick to formal language when communicating over email.
Because this expectation of formality persists in most email correspondence, you might find yourself in the predicament of having to express that you wish someone the best while having to phrase it in formal terms.
Here are few great ways to wish someone good health in a formal email.
9. Take care! Best wishes for your good health.
This is a great way to sign-off an email to someone you don’t know too well, but still want to send your best wishes to.
This would be a particularly good email to send to someone you have been communicating with regularly but don’t have a personal relationship with.
It would, for example, be an appropriate way to end an email just before you go out of office (also known, in more formal circles as going oof) for the holiday season.
10. I hope this email finds you in good health.
This would be an appropriate way to begin a relatively formal email to someone you don’t know, but whose good opinion you value.
This is a particularly appropriate thing to say during the era of coronavirus and monkeypox.
By referencing the health crises presently affecting wider society you are demonstrating an awareness of current affairs that will not go unnoticed.
In addition, you are showing that you are a caring and interested person who sees the person you are corresponding with as more than just another business contact.
Adding a personal touch to formal emails never fails to impress potential employers, so use this way of wishing someone good health when you are writing a follow-up email after a career fair or responding to an interview request.
11. I hope this finds you well!
We’re all pretty used to using “Hope all is well with you” as an email sign-off. And in fact, we’re probably so familiar with it that we’ve forgotten it even has anything to do with health.
But of course it does! Saying you hope something finds someone well is just another way of saying, “I hope this finds you in good health.”
In our current age of modern medicine, we sometimes take good health for granted and see it as the default—which of course it isn’t, even today.
So, next time you begin an email saying, “I hope this finds you well,” take a moment to reflect on what you are really wishing the person you are corresponding with and to appreciate the generosity of this sentiment.
11. All the best to you and yours. Wishing you all good health and happiness.
This formal email sign off expressly wishes the recipient and their nearest and dearest all the best, before specifying that, in addition to whatever “the best” is, you are also wishing them and their loved ones good health and happiness.
You can hardly go wrong with this kind, warm email sign-off, regardless of the circumstances.
How to wish someone good health when sick
While we wish people good health all the time as a way of expressing care, this wish is even more significant when someone is actually in poor health.
If you are talking to someone who is sick—or if you are reaching out to them specifically because they are sick—it is important to wish them good health.
That said, sickness and poor health and sensitive, emotional subjects.
Depending on how sick someone is, they may not really want to talk about their current condition, and you certainly don’t want to make their situation worse by reminding them of a reality they would rather not think about too much.
The best thing to do is to be sensitive to their pain and sincere when you express that you wish them good health.
Here are a few suggestions for how to phrase this wish when you are speaking to someone who isn’t well.
12. You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers, and I am sending you all the get well and good health wishes I possibly can!
Telling someone they are in your thoughts and prayers is a nice way of conveying that they are on your mind and that you haven’t forgotten about them just because they aren’t doing well.
For people of faith, it is very meaningful to know that someone out there is praying for them.
For this reason, letting them know they are in your prayers is a generous and loving act.
13. I was so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but I have no doubt you’ll fight this off the same way you’ve conquered every challenge you’ve ever faced. May the next phase of your life be characterized by good health.
Referencing a diagnosis if someone has recently been told they have a serious or chronic illness is a good way to address the elephant in the room right away.
If you just began by wishing them good health, the person you’re addressing might feel that there was something embarrassing or shameful about their condition.
Addressing their present ill health head-on destigmatizes it and may make them feel that they can speak to you openly about what they’re going through in the future, which will make them feel close to you and supported.
14. May God bless you with good health after this difficult period of sickness.
If someone has been enduring a period of ill health for a while (and provided they either believe in God or don’t mind when people reference Him), this is a perfect way to tell them you hope things look up for them after this difficult time.
15. Bad luck with being sick, bro. I’m sure you’ll be in good health in no time, and I can’t wait to hit the town with you when you are.
This is a sweet, informal way to tell a good male friend that you sympathize with what they’re going through without having to make things too emotional.
Referencing something you used to do together, such as going out, will remind them of the good times you’ve had and of what they have to look forward to once their health improves.
How to wish someone good health after surgery
Surgery is kind of a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it is not pleasant to have to go into an operating theater and go under the knife.
On the other hand, it also marks the beginning of potential recovery.
In theory, every day after surgery is a day closer to restored health.
The problem has hopefully been solved, and all the patient has to do once an operation is complete is recover.
Reminding someone that they have done the difficult part when wishing them good health after a procedure will surely help them feel better.
16. I’m so glad the procedure went well. I’m thinking of you and wishing you good health.
Congratulating someone on a successful surgical procedure is always a good way to begin wishing someone good health.
Telling them we’re thinking of them and that we want the best for them is sure to put them in a better mood, and research shows that positive thinking can lead to a faster recovery.
17. You’ve made it through the hard part—now for recovery. Take things one step at a time and know that every day that passes marks a day closer to good health.
This is a great way to remind someone who has just undergone a difficult surgical procedure that it’s only going to get better from here on out.
They have already passed the major hurdle and they are now on to hopefully making a full recovery.
Provided everything went well with the surgery, this message is sure to put a smile on your loved one’s face.
18. Well done on staying strong while awaiting surgery. It’s all downhill from here. I’m sure you’ll be restored to perfect health in no time.
Anticipation of a difficult and dangerous medical procedure is often far worse than the experience of undergoing the procedure.
Reminding someone that they’ve been through a difficult period, both before the surgery and during it, will remind them that if they aren’t feeling 100-percent positive, they have good reason to feel that way.
That said, this wish of good health will hopefully make the person you’re speaking to feel that they are on the mend now, and that their mood and thinking, as well as their physical health, have a reason to be on an upward trajectory.
How to wish someone good health and recovery
When we wish someone who is recovering “good health,” we often do so because they have informed us that they are not going to be able to keep previously arranged plans.
For example, if someone shoots us a quick text message on the morning of a day we had arranged to meet them for dinner and excuses themselves from those plans because they aren’t feeling well, it is only polite to respond by wishing them good health and recovery.
19. Thinking of you and wishing you good health and a quick recovery.
If someone tells you they are ill, or if you hear from a mutual friend or family member that someone is unwell, it never hurts to drop them a quick message wishing them good health.
It doesn’t have to be long and there is no need to labor the point.
This way of wishing someone good health and recovery covers all the necessary bases and shows that you care.
20. Wishing you a speedy return to good health!
This fairly generic way of wishing someone good health makes the perfect inscription in a card you send to someone’s hospital bed with flowers.
This is appropriate to say to everyone from a close friend or family member to a casual acquaintance or work colleague.
21. Welcome to good health, population: you, so very soon! Wishing you a speedy recovery.
This light-hearted, good-humored approach to wishing someone who has been injured or sick good health is sure to boost their mood.
Send this as a text message to a good friend if they’ve just been a bit sniffly and can’t make your planned evening out or write it in a card that you send to the hospital if one of your family members that you have a jokey, informal relationship with has been taken more seriously ill.
22. Get well soon! I’m sure you’ll be in perfect health again in no time at all.
This versatile way of wishing someone good health could be said in person, written in a card, or sent as a text message.
Because it assumes a degree of familiarity, it is best to keep this well wish to close friends and family members.
How to wish elders good health
A wide variety of cultural customs dictate that younger generations should routinely wish their elders good health whenever they greet or say goodbye to them.
And even in cultures where these habits aren’t so engrained, it is still widely understood that a birthday card or any toast made in an older family member’s name should include a wish of good health.
Here are a few great ways to express your love and care for your elders by wishing them good health (and telling them they are ageing well to boot!).
23. To the most beautiful, youthful grandmother out there, Happy Birthday! Wishing you many more years of good health and happiness.
The older generation are far less familiar with social media and text messaging than we are, which means they still place a lot of value on receiving a physical card or letter.
For this reason, it is nice to always remember to send your grandparents actual cards to mark special occasions.
If your grandmother is the typical, doting grandparent, you can be sure that you’ll always receive a handwritten thank you reply for anniversary wishes and birthday greetings, and so on and so forth.
If your grandmother has a birthday coming up, this is a wonderful message to write in a card to send her by “snail mail.”
24. Dear Grandpa, thank you so much for everything you do for us. I wish you all the best for this next year and am raising a glass to your continued good health.
This is the perfect thing to say at the end of a birthday toast at your grandfather’s birthday party.
Thanking him for what he does for your family will be sure to warm his heart, and mentioning his “continued good health,” will make him feel that you see him as a healthy, energetic person, which will surely make him happy.
25. Dear Auntie, thank you for all the wisdom you have shared with me over the years. I wish you another sixty years of good health, happiness, and story-worthy experiences!
This is a great birthday message or toast for an aunt or uncle (provided you change the address of course!).
Adjust the number of years to the number of years old the person are addressing is turning, and your speech or card is sure to be a hit.
26. Dear Dad, you are the guiding light of my life, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for our close relationship. May God continue to bless you with excellent health, a great sense of humor, and an insatiable desire for adventure. Happy birthday!
If you’re struggling with how to say happy birthday to your dad, never fear. This inscription strikes the perfect balance between affectionate and respectful.
And to top that off, it is a great way to wish your elder good health.
27. To my dearest mother on her 70th birthday, there are no words to express how grateful I am for your care and support, so I will just wish you continued good health. Your smile still lights up every room you enter, and we all love you so much.
This is pretty much the same message as the previous one; it just has a softer tone and is tailored to qualities that are more likely possessed by your mother.
Telling an older relative that their smile lights up the room will make them feel beautiful, and adding that you wish them continued good health will make them feel optimistic about the future.
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.