beannacht
/bʲəˈn̪ˠɑxt̪ˠ/feminine
The Irish word for "blessing" is beannacht.
beannacht is a noun used to describe the act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor. It is used in the phrase beannacht Dé to mean "God's blessing".
Meaning: act of declaring, seeking or bestowing favor (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
beannacht is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/bʲəˈn̪ˠɑxt̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- In traditional Irish folklore, a 'beannacht' was not just a spoken word but was often seen as a tangible protection or charm for the home.
- Despite the religious weight of the word, in many Irish-speaking communities, you might hear 'beannacht leat' as a common, secular way to say 'goodbye' to a single person.
- The word beannacht is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'benediction', as both stem from the same Latin root.
Examples in context
- Níor mhair an beannacht.The blessing did not last.
Example conversation
Aoife and Cian are talking about a family gathering.
- AoifeAn raibh beannacht ag an tSeanmháthair?Did the grandmother give a blessing?
- CianBaraon, thug sí beannacht do gach duine.Yes, she gave a blessing to everyone.
- AoifeIs iontach an rud é sin.That is a wonderful thing.
- CianTá beannacht uaine air an t-uisce.There is a green blessing on the water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blessing” translations and entries beannacht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beannacht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
