madainn mhath
/mat̪əɲ ˈva/
The English phrase "good morning" is madainn mhath in Gaelic.
This phrase is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning.
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of madainn (morning) and mhath (good).
Is it said differently in some regions?
Madainn mhath is the Scottish Gaelic version of "good morning."
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective math (good) changes to mhath when it precedes a feminine noun like madainn.
How do you pronounce it?
/mat̪əɲ ˈva/
Did you know?
- The word madainn descends from the name of Mātūta, the ancient Roman goddess of the morning.
- While 'good morning' is a standard greeting, in some traditional Gaelic contexts, the time of day is often paired with a blessing for the person's health or well-being.
- The phrase madainn mhath shares a common ancestor with the French word matin and the English word 'matutinal'.
Examples in context
- Madainn mhath!Good morning!This example shows the phrase used as an exclamation.Tatoeba #4189469 by User66640, translation #329713 by YURY0608
- Madainn mhath.Good morning.This example shows the phrase used as a standard statement.Tatoeba #8109644 by SteCymru14, translation #2258234 by _undertoad
- Dia dhuit ar maidin! Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú?Good morning! How are you?
- Madainn mhath, a charaid!Good morning, friend!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Isla and Callum meet at a coffee shop.
- IslaMadainn mhath, a Callum!Good morning, Callum!
- CallumMadainn mhath, a Isla!Good morning, Isla!
- IslaCiamar a tha thu?How are you?
- CallumTha mi gu math, tapadh leat.I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries madainn mhath, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries madainn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
