madainn mhath
/mat̪əɲ ˈva/
The English phrase "good morning" is translated into Gaelic as madainn mhath.
madainn mhath is used when greeting 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).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective math (good) changes to the form mhath when it precedes a feminine noun such as madainn.
How do you pronounce it?
/mat̪əɲ ˈva/
Did you know?
- The word madainn traces its roots back to the Roman goddess of the dawn, Mātūta.
- The 'h' in mhath creates a lenition, which transforms the hard 'm' sound into a soft 'v' sound.
- The phrase madainn mhath shares a common Old Irish ancestor with the Irish maidin and the Manx maddin.
Examples in context
- Madainn mhath!Good morning!This example shows the exclamation madainn mhath.Tatoeba #4189469 by User66640, translation #329713 by YURY0608
- Madainn mhath.Good morning.This example shows the statement madainn mhath.Tatoeba #8109644 by SteCymru14, translation #2258234 by _undertoad
- Maidin maith, a charaid!Good morning, my friend!
- Madainn mhath, a charaid.Good morning, friend.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Catriona and Finlay pass each other on a street in the morning.
- CatrionaMadainn mhath, a Fhionnlagh!Good morning, Finlay!
- FinlayMadainn mhath, a Chaitriona.Good morning, Catriona.
- CatrionaA bheil thu gu math?Are you well?
- FinlayTha, tapadh leat.Yes, 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.
