Tá fáilte romhat (taw FAWL-cheh ROH-ut) You're welcome. Go raibh maith agat as na mbronntanas!
Pronounced gur-uv mah ah-guth, “go raibh maith agat” is the phrase the Irish use to express their gratitude for something or simply “thank you”. An example of a situation where you can use this phrase is that when someone passes you a platter of boxty you'd say “go raibh maith agat”.
Dia dhuit (“Dee-ah gwit”)
The standard Irish greeting, this phrase reflects the country's religious history. Its literal meaning is “God be with you.”
The most common greeting is the handshake. The Irish usually shake hands when being introduced or when greeting a friend or work colleague. In formal situations or with people of higher status, titles and last names are used. Among close friends and family, the Irish may hug and kiss each other on the cheek.
To say Goodbye in Irish you would say “Slán leat” – literally meaning “goodbye (health) to you”. You can be less formal and just say “Slán”, bye. Or as we say in our own video … “Slán go fóill” – Bye for now.
In a social setting, it is polite to shake hands with people when you first see them and again when you are leaving. When driving in rural areas, it is proper etiquette to acknowledge other drivers. This is by either raising a hand or a finger from the steering wheel.
What is this? Rather than merely replying with an Irish Gaelic “hello,” dia is Muire duit is a more appropriate and usual response in Irish Gaelic.
To one person: Dia dhuit JEE-uh Gwitch. To multiple people: Dia dhaoibh JEE-uh YEE-iv.
“Moladh” is the Irish word for “compliment”.
So if you ask an Irish person how they are or if they are happy with something, a very common response would be “ah grand” which means everything is fine or something is just okay. If you are having a good time or things are going well, then an Irish person may say that they are “happy out”.
One of the most typically Irish ways to respond to a compliment is to completely refuse to acknowledge it. Take, for example, that someone tells you that your hair looks good today, an Irish person will not simply say, “thank you”, but rather, say something along the lines of “Ah, would you stop?” or “shut up you”.
This one is globally recognized as a form of greeting, shortened from the word “hello”. However, in Donegal, the word “hi” takes on a whole new meaning and boy, it can get confusing. Essentially, “hi” in Donegal is placed at the beginning and/or the end of a sentence, and means absolutely nothing.
“Maidin mhaaaaith!” Maidin mhaith, which is the simplest way to say “good morning” in Irish, is a direct translation of the English phrase.
Hugging, touching, or simply being overly physical with others in public is considered inappropriate etiquette in Ireland. Avoid using PDA and respect people's personal space in Ireland.
Irish families value one another, and they respect their family members and value communication. But beyond valuing their close relationships with one another, the people of Ireland also cherish their family history and heritage. Knowing your extended family and your cousins is vital to Irish people.
Irish people have the reputation of being very friendly and easy-going. Small talk is an important part of everyday life even among strangers. Being polite is also very important: people use 'please' and 'thank you' often and they use indirect ways to ask for something.
Why the Irish Goodbye is polite. An Irish Goodbye can actually be seen as a form of politeness and respect to the host and other guests. When completing an Irish Exit, you are letting the party/gathering continue as is, as opposed to making a spectacle of your leaving.
Arguably, an Irish goodbye is moderately socially acceptable, and there are plenty of think pieces about why it's actually the best way to leave a party. But to understand how the maneuver got its name, you have to know that for most of its history the act has been considered inexcusably rude.
mo chara. /muh khor-ah/ my friend (never used as a form of address)
Mucker. Mate, pal, friend. Example: I'm so excited to see my mucker.