slán, a chara
The English phrase "goodbye, my friend" is translated into Irish as slán, a chara.
This phrase is a friendly way to say goodbye to someone you know well. You may also encounter the variation Slán agat, a chara, which can be translated as "May you go safely".
What does it mean word for word?
The word slán literally means "safe", "healthy" or "whole".
Did you know?
- The Irish word slán shares a very ancient root with the English word 'whole' through their common Proto-Indo-European ancestor.
- The little a before chara is a grammatical marker used to address someone directly, rather than being a simple word for 'the' or 'a'.
- In Irish, the concept of saying 'goodbye' is deeply tied to the wish for safety. This is why Slán agat literally translates to 'Safe be at you'.
Examples in context
- Slán, a chara, go raibh maith agat.Goodbye, my friend, and thank you.
Example conversation
Two friends are leaving a cafe.
- CathalBí go háimhseach, Aoife.Be happy, Aoife.
- AoifeGo raibh go leor, a Chathail.Thank you, Cathal.
- CathalSlán, a chara!Goodbye, my friend!
- AoifeSlán agat!Goodbye to you!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, slán, CC BY-SA 4.0.
