Dia dhuit
/ˌdʲiə ˈɣɪtʲ/
Dia dhuit is the Irish phrase for hello, used when greeting one person.
Dia dhuit is a common greeting used to say hello to a single person. It translates to "God be with you". You can also use the variation Dia dhuit, a chara to say "God be with you, friend".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "God to you".
Which one should you use?
Dia dhuit is the singular greeting used for one person. In contrast, if you are greeting multiple people, the phrase changes to Dia dhaoibh.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Munster region, people often use the phrase Dia is Muire duit. In Connaught, you may encounter the phrase Dia dhuit is Muire Duit.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person or using a formal or polite register, you should use the form Dia dhaoibh.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdʲiə ˈɣɪtʲ/
When do people say it?
When someone says Dia dhuit, it is perfectly natural to respond by simply saying Dia dhuit back. A more traditional and religious response is to say Dia is Muire dhuit, which means "God and Mary to you".
Did you know?
- The word Dia in the greeting shares a prehistoric root with the English word 'Tuesday' via the Old English god Tīw.
- The word Dia is a homonym in Irish, meaning both 'God' and 'day'.
- If you want to show extra respect to a single person, you should switch from the singular Dia dhuit to the plural Dia dhaoibh.
Examples in context
- Dia dhuit!Hello!
- Dia dhuit, a chara.Hello, friend.
- Dia dhuit sa madainn.Good morning to you.
Example conversation
Oisín walks into a local shop and sees Siobhán.
- OisínDia dhuit, a Siobhán!Hello, Siobhán!
- SiobhánDia dhuit, a Oisín.Hello, Oisín.
- OisínConas atá tú?How are you?
- SiobhánTá mé go maith, go raibh maith agat.I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Dia dhuit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dia, Dia dhuit, dia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
