Author: Breandán an Píobaire
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Here is a list of greetings and partings in Irish, starting with the more traditional
and then introducing some more recent additions. All pronunciations given are
in Connacht-based standard Irish. A sound file in Connacht-based standard Irish
accompanies each section.
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Traditional Greetings
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To one person:
Dia dhuit. /d´i:ə ɣit´/ "Hello" (to one person)
Dia is Muire dhuit. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣit´/ "Hello" (reply to one person)
Dia is Muire dhuit is Pádraig. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣit´əs pɑ:rik´/ "Hello" (second reply
to one person)
Dia is Muire dhuit is Pádraig is Bríd. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣit´əs pɑ:rik´əs b´r´i:d´/
"Hello" (third reply to one person)
Dia is Muire dhuit is Pádraig is Bríd is Seosamh. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣit´əs pɑ:rik´əs
b´r´i:d´əs s´osəw/ "Hello" (fourth reply to one person)
To a group of people:
Dia dhaoibh. /d´i:ə ɣi:w´/ "Hello" (to a group)
Dia is Muire dhaoibh. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣi:w´/ "Hello" (reply to a group)
Dia is Muire dhaoibh is Pádraig. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣi:w´əs pɑ:rik´/ "Hello" (second
reply to a group)
Dia is Muire dhaoibh is Pádraig is Bríd. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣi:w´əs pɑ:rik´əs b´r´i:d´/
"Hello" (third reply to a group)
Dia is Muire dhaoibh is Pádraig is Bríd is Seosamh. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣi:w´əs
pɑ:rik´əs b´r´i:d´əs s´osəw/ "Hello" (fourth reply to a group)
NOTES:
Dia dhuit is an abbreviation of Go mbeannaí Dia dhuit. /gə m´ æNi: d´i:ə ɣit´/
"May God bless you."
Although the Caighdeán tends to use the spelling duit, in actual speech dhuit and
dhaoibh are used in Munster and Connacht (and historically also in Leinster).
Some Munster speakers may substitute dhíbh /ɣ´i:w´/ in place of dhaoibh.
Ulster speakers say duit and daoibh.
These are used traditionally for "Hello" at any time of day. There is traditionally
no "Good morning", "Good day", or "Good afternoon" as a greeting, only in
parting, just as Oíche mhaith "Good night" is only used in parting.
Notice that you do not traditionally respond to Dia dhuit with Dia dhuit, but
instead add is Muire ("and Mary"), is Pádraig ("and Patrick"), is Bríd ("and
Brigit"), is Seosamh ("and Joseph"), as each person responds to the greeting.
After Muire, the additional saints' names may come before or after the
dhuit/dhaoibh.
Munster Irish traditionally starts with Dia is Muire dhuit and progresses from
there.
http://www.awyr.com/ILF/saewndfaylz/Greet_and_Part-T_G.mp3
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Traditional Partings
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Maidin mhaith agat. /mad´ən wa: agət/ "(Have a) good morning." (traditionally
means "Goodbye", not "Hello", to one person)
Maidin mhaith agaibh. /mad´ən´ wa: agiw´/ "(Have a) good morning."
(traditionally means "Goodbye", not "Hello", to a group)
Lá maith agat. /lɑ: ma: agət/ "(Have a) good day." (traditionally means
"Goodbye", not "Hello", to one person)
Lá maith agaibh. /lɑ: ma: agiw´/ "(Have a) good day." (traditionally means
"Goodbye", not "Hello", to a group)
Tráthnóna maith agat. /trɑ:Nu:Nə ma: agət/ "(Have a) good
afternoon/evening."(traditionally means "Goodbye", not "Hello")
Tráthnóna maith agaibh. /trɑ:Nu:Nə ma: agiw´/ "(Have a) good
afternoon/evening."(traditionally means "Goodbye", not "Hello")
Oíche mhaith. /i:x´ə wa:/ "Good night"
Slán agat. /sLɑ:N agət/ "Goodbye" (to someone remaining)
Slán leat. /sLɑ:N l´æt/ "Goodbye" (to someone leaving)
Slán agaibh. /sLɑ:N agiw´/ "Goodbye" (to a group remaining)
Slán libh. /sLɑ:N l´iw´/ "Goodbye" (to a group leaving)
Slán abhaile. /sLɑ:N ə'wal´ə/ "Safe home." (to one or more people going home)
Slán go fóill /sLɑ:N gə fo:L´/ "Bye for now" (used in a letter, etc.)
Go dté tú slán. /gə d´e: tu: sLɑ:N/ "Stay safe, bon voyage" (to one person)
Go dté sibh slán. /gə d´e: s´iw´ sLɑ:N/ "Stay safe, bon voyage" (to a group)
NOTES:
These are only used traditionally in parting, not greeting someone.
Maith "good" is pronounced MAAH /ma:h/ in Munster, MAA /ma:/ (no final h) in
Conamara, an MY /mai/ or MUYKH /maix/ in North Connacht and Ulster.
http://www.awyr.com/ILF/saewndfaylz/Greet_and_Part-T_P.mp3
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Other Traditional Greetings
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On entering a house or other building:
Dia anseo. /d´i:ə N´s´o/ "God bless all here." (on entering a house)
Dia anseo isteach. /d´i:ə N´s´o əs´t´æx/ "God bless all here." (on entering a
house)
Bail ó Dhia anseo. /bal´ o: ɣ´i:ə N´s´o/ "God bless all here." (on entering a house)
Dia sa teach. /d´i:ə sə t´æx/ "God bless all here." (on entering a house)
Answer with:
Dia is Muire dhuit. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣit´/
Welcoming someone to your home:
'Sé do bheatha. /s´e: də w´æhə/ "Welcome. Make yourself at home." (to one
person)
'Sé bhur mbeatha. /s´e: w´ur m´æhə/ "Welcome. Make yourselves at home." (to
a group)
Answer with:
Go maire tú i bhfad. /gə mar´ə tu: ə wad/ "May you live long." (to one person)
Go maire sibh i bhfad. /gə mar´ə s´iw´ ə wad/ "May you live long." (to a group)
On arriving at a place where someone else is working:
Bail ó Dhia ar an obair. /bal´ o: ɣ´i:ə er´ əN obər´/ "God bless the work."
Answer with:
Dia is Muire dhuit. /d´i:əs mir´ə ɣit´/
or
An bhail chéanna ort. /əN wal´ x´e:Nə ort/ "The same blessing upon you."
or
Go mba é dhuit. /gə ma e: ɣit´/ "The same to you."
Alternative morning greetings:
Dia dhuit ar maidin. /d´i:ə ɣit´ er´ mad´ən´/ "Good morning"
Note: This is the nearest traditional expression to "Good morning" as a greeting.
Móra na maidine dhuit. /mo:rə Nə mad´ən´ə ɣit´/ "Good morning" (Munster
Irish - the most likely origin of "Top of the morning to you.", not stage Irish as
often assumed.)
http://www.awyr.com/ILF/saewndfaylz/Greet_and_Part-O_T_G.mp3
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More Recent
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Haló /haLo:/ "Hello" (used solely on the telephone)
Maidin mhaith dhuit. /mad´ən wa: ɣit´/ "Good morning" (to one person)
Maidin mhaith dhaoibh. /mad´ən wa: ɣi:w´/ "Good morning" (to a group)
Tráthnóna maith dhuit. /trɑ:Nu:Nə ma: ɣit´/ "Good afternoon" (to one person)
Tráthnóna maith dhaoibh. /trɑ:Nu:Nə ma: ɣi:w´/ "Good afternoon" (to a
group)
NOTE: Since Maidin mhaith on its own is traditionally a parting expression,
dhuit/duit or dhaoibh/daoibh/dhíbh is necessary to avoid sounding like you
are saying "goodbye".
Maidin mhaith on its own as a greeting is still considered Béarlachas (an
anglicism or English calque) in the south of Ireland (Munster and Connacht Irish),
though it has come into widespread use even in the Gaeltacht in the north (Ulster
Irish).
http://www.awyr.com/ILF/saewndfaylz/Greet_and_Part-M_R.mp3
About the Author:
Breandán has taught Irish (Gaeilge) professionally since 1998, where he started teaching Irish to Japanese adults in Tokyo. He started teaching online lessons from Australia in November 2019. Breandán speaks Cois Fhairrge (Connemara) dialect by preference but can speak and teach Connaught-based standard Irish (the Irish used in Buntús Cainte and many texbooks) and Ulster-based standard (such as taught in Now You're Talking, etc.), and is now learning Munster Irish as well. He is not a native speaker but has travelled to Ireland five times to study the language and culture and has native-level pronunciation. Breandán has contributed extensively to Forvo, Irish Language Forum, and to I am Learning Irish (Tá mé ag foghlaim na Gaeilge) and other groups on Facebook. He also sings "ar an sean-nós" (old-style unaccompanied Irish singing) and plays uilleann pipes, Irish flute and tin whistle.
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