maidin mhaith
The English phrase "good morning" is translated into Irish as maidin mhaith.
Maidin mhaith 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 maidin (morning) and mhaith (good).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Munster region, the phrase Maidin mhaith ort is used for Good Morning.
Did you know?
- The word maidin is cousins with the Latin 'mātūtus', which refers to the early morning, linking the Irish greeting to the Roman goddess of the dawn, Mātūta.
- In some traditional contexts, a person might respond to maidin mhaith by wishing the other person a 'blessed' morning instead of just a 'good' one.
- The 'mh' in mhaith is pronounced like a 'v' or 'w' sound, making the word sound nothing like its written form.
Examples in context
- Maidin mhaith!Good morning!Tatoeba #1577316 by Tekn33k, translation #329713 by YURY0608
- Maidin mhaith, a chara.Good morning, friend.
Example conversation
Niamh and Cian pass each other in a quiet street in the morning.
- NiamhMaidin mhaith, Cian!Good morning, Cian!
- CianMaidin mhaith, a Niamh.Good morning, Niamh.
- NiamhAn bhfuil an aimsir go maith?Is the weather good?
- CianTá sé go hiontach.It is wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries maidin mhaith, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maidin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
