oidhche mhath
/ˌɤɪçə ˈvaː/
The Gaelic phrase for "good night" is oidhche mhath.
Oidhche mhath is used as a farewell when parting ways in the evening or when someone is going to sleep. If you wish to say "good evening" instead, use Feasgar math.
Meaning: a farewell (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of oidhche (night) and mhath (good).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɤɪçə ˈvaː/
When do people say it?
You can customize your farewell by adding terms of endearment or friendship, such as Oidhche mhath, mo ghràidh (Good night, my love) or Oidhche mhath, mo chara (Good night, my friend).
Did you know?
- The word oidhche might share a root with the Sanskrit word andha meaning 'blind'.
- In traditional Gaelic culture, saying oidhche mhath to someone who is not yet sleeping can be seen as a way of gently ending a conversation.
- The phrase oidhche mhath is part of a wider system of 'lenition' where the start of a word is modified to signal grammatical changes.
Examples in context
- Oidhche mhath.Good night!This example shows the use of oidhche mhath.Tatoeba #877952 by Cainntear, translation #426950 by Pun_intended
- Oidhche mhath dhut.Good night to you.
- Oidhche mhath, a ghràidh.Good night, my love.
Example conversation
Mairead and Callum are saying goodbye for the evening.
- MaireadTha mi sgìth, mar sin gluaisim.I am tired, so I'm off.
- CallumOidhche mhath, a Mhairead.Good night, Mairead.
- MaireadOidhche mhath dhuibh, a Callum.Good night to you, Callum.
- CallumTìr nan tìr!Sleep tight!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good night” translations and entries oidhche mhath, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oidhche, oidhche mhath, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
