slán
/sˠl̪ˠɑ̃ːn̪ˠ/
The Irish word for bye is slán.
slán is a short form used to say goodbye.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word slán literally means 'safe', 'healthy' or 'whole'.
Which one should you use?
While slán can stand alone, slán agat is the standard way to direct the wish of safety toward a single listener. If you are addressing more than one person, or wish to use a more formal tone, use slán sibh.
How do you pronounce it?
/sˠl̪ˠɑ̃ːn̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- The word slán shares a distant ancient ancestor with the English word 'whole', coming from the Proto-Indo-European root *solh₂-. This links the Irish way of saying 'bye' to the English concept of completeness.
- Unlike English, where 'bye' is almost always informal, slán sibh allows the speaker to shift into a formal register simply by changing the pronoun, regardless of the length of the word.
Examples in context
- Caithfidh mé imeacht anois. Slán agat!I have to go now. Bye!This example shows how to use slán when departing.Tatoeba #12274860 by EoghanM, translation #2093311 by gleki
- Slán agat, Mr. O'Sullivan.Take care of yourself.
- Slán leat!Bye!
- Slán go fóill.Bye for now.
Example conversation
Cian and Saoirse are leaving a cafe.
- CianBíodh an lá seo go maith agat, a Saoirse.Have a good day, Saoirse.
- SaoirseGo raibh an lá go maith agat, a Chian.Have a good day, Cian.
- CianSlán anois!Bye now!
- SaoirseSlán!Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry slán, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries slán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
