Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| go n-éirí an t-ádh leat | |
| ádh mór | /ɑː mˠuəɾˠ/ (Galway, Munster, word by word) |
| go n-éirí leat |
These phrases are used to wish fortune upon someone or to offer encouragement. While ádh mór is a direct translation of 'big luck' or 'good luck', it is less idiomatic than the common phrase go n-éirí an t-ádh leat. You can also use sonas to refer to positive fortune as a noun.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase go n-éirí an t-ádh leat literally translates to 'may the luck rise with you'.
Which one should you use?
Ádh mór acts as a direct translation of 'big luck' or 'good luck'. In contrast, go n-éirí an t-ádh leat is a more idiomatic and common way to express the sentiment in Irish. The shortened version, go n-éirí leat, omits the word for luck (ádh) and is used to mean 'may you succeed' or to wish someone good luck in a general sense.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase go n-éirí an t-ádh leat uses the singular pronoun leat to address one person informally. To address more than one person or to use a formal tone, you should change leat to libh to say go n-éirí an t-ádh libh.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Ádh mór!Good luck!This is useful for saying 'Good luck!' using ádh mór.Tatoeba #7801402 by eo_as, translation #429220 by Clavain
- Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat le do thuras.Good luck with your trip.
Example conversation
Aoife is wishing Cian luck before his job interview.
- AoifeAn bhfuil tú réidh don agallamh, a Chian?Are you ready for the interview, Cian?
- CianTá mé, ach tá imní orm.I am, but I am nervous.
- AoifeGo n-éirí an t-ádh leat!Good luck!
- CianGo raibh maith agat, a Aoife.Thank you, Aoife.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations and entries ádh mór, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ádh, mór) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries an, go, mór, ádh, ádh mór, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
