What do you say when giving a toast?

Say who you are, one specific thing about the person or occasion, what you wish for them, and then "Please raise your glasses: to [name]."

How do you start a toast?

Stand, wait for quiet and say "Could I have everyone's attention for a moment?" Then introduce yourself in one line if not everyone knows you.

How do you end a toast?

Raise your glass and say the name of the person or the thing you're toasting: "To Lisa" or "To the new house." Then drink and sit down.

Do you have to drink alcohol to toast?

No. Any drink is fine, and so is raising an empty hand. The gesture matters, not what's in the glass.

How to Give a Toast at Any Occasion: A Simple 4-Part Formula

Q: How long should a toast be?

Thirty to sixty seconds for most occasions. Weddings, milestone birthdays and retirements can run two to five minutes.

The four-part formula

Part	What it does	Example line	Time
1. Connect	Gets attention and tells people who you are or why you're speaking	"For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Sam, and I've shared an office with Lisa for six years."	5 to 10 seconds
2. Reason	One specific thing about the person or occasion	"Every time a project went wrong, Lisa was the one who stayed late and said, 'Right, what do we know?'"	15 to 45 seconds
3. Wish	What you hope for them, looking forward	"In the new job, I hope they let you stay a little less late."	5 to 15 seconds
4. Raise	Glasses up, the name, the toast	"Please raise your glasses: to Lisa."	5 seconds

That adds up to 30 to 75 seconds. For a big occasion, like a wedding or milestone birthday, part 2 grows into one or two full stories, and the toast becomes a speech. For everything else, short is right.

The formula at eight occasions

These are made-up example toasts. Swap in your own names and details.

A dinner with friends

"Before we eat, can I just say something? It's been a year since we've all been around one table. Thanks to Maya for cooking enough for twenty. Here's to doing this more than once a year. Cheers."

A new job or promotion

"I'm Tom, I trained with Aisha when we were both juniors. She was the only one of us who actually read the manual. Now she's running the department. Aisha, I hope they know how lucky they are. To Aisha."

A work milestone or project launch

"Six months ago, this was a whiteboard and a lot of arguments. Tonight it's live, and the first customers are already using it. Thank you, all of you, especially the people who fixed the bugs at midnight. Here's to the launch."

A housewarming

"Thanks for having us, Dan and Rosa. It took you two years of viewings to find this place, and now I see why. May it be full of people, noise and good food. To the new house."

A family holiday meal

"I just want to say how good it is to have everyone here, including Grandad, who drove himself despite our protests. Here's to family, and to whoever's doing the washing up."

A graduation

"Jake, four years ago you couldn't boil an egg. Today you have a degree in chemistry, which I'm told is mostly the same skill. We're so proud of you. To the graduate."

A farewell or leaving drinks

"Ella, you've been the person we all asked when we didn't want to ask the manager. We'll be lost, but they're lucky. Good luck in Berlin. To Ella."

Honouring someone who has died, at a gathering

"Before we start, I'd like us to remember Dad. He'd have loved this table, and he'd have told the same story about the 1987 cup final. Please raise a glass to him. To Dad."

Toast etiquette in brief

Customs vary by family, country and occasion, but these are widely followed:

Wait for the right moment. Usually when everyone has a drink, before or after the main course, not mid-bite.
Get attention gently. Stand up and say "Could I have everyone's attention for a moment?" Tapping a glass with a knife can work but risks breaking it.
Stand if the group is large; sitting is fine at a small table.
Keep your glass in hand but don't wave it around while you speak.
Any drink works. Water or a soft drink is fine for the toast.
If you're the one being toasted, smile and listen. Traditionally you don't drink to yourself; you can raise your glass in thanks afterwards.
Look at the person when you say their name, then at the room as you raise your glass.

How long should a toast be?

Occasion	Typical length	Approx. words
Dinner, housewarming, family meal	20 to 45 seconds	50 to 100
New job, graduation, leaving drinks	30 to 60 seconds	75 to 150
Work milestone or launch	1 to 2 minutes	150 to 300
Wedding, milestone birthday, retirement	2 to 5 minutes	300 to 650

Word counts assume a relaxed pace of about 130 words a minute. Check your own with the speech length calculator. For the bigger occasions, see the dedicated pages: wedding toast, birthday toast or retirement toast.

Mistakes to avoid

Mistake	Why it hurts	Instead
Starting over noise	Half the room misses it	Wait for quiet, even if it takes ten seconds
A list of qualities	"Kind, funny, generous" sounds generic	One specific moment that shows one quality
Talking about yourself	The toast becomes your speech	One line about who you are, then them
Inside jokes	Most of the table is lost	Something everyone can follow
No clear ending	People don't know when to drink	Always finish with "To [name]"
Going long at a casual event	People are hungry	Under a minute

If you're asked with no warning

Use the same formula, compressed: who you are, one thing about them, a wish, glasses up. It takes 20 seconds. For more structures, see how to give an impromptu speech.

Practise once out loud

Even a 30-second toast is easier if you've said it once. Say it to the mirror or in the car. If you want to practise in front of a listening audience, the "Open a presentation or toast" scene in Speaking Coach is built for this, and afterwards it shows your pace and filler words.