beannacht
/bʲəˈn̪ˠɑxt̪ˠ/
The Irish word for greeting is beannacht.
While beannacht can mean a greeting, it is most commonly used in the sense of a blessing or a formal salutation.
Meaning: acknowledgement of a persons presence or arrival (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun beannacht literally means 'blessing'.
How do you pronounce it?
/bʲəˈn̪ˠɑxt̪ˠ/
When do people say it?
In Irish, common ways to interact include using Dia dhuit as the most common phrase for saying 'hello' or Céad míle fáilte, which literally means 'A hundred thousand welcomes'. You might also use the informal Conas atá tú? to ask 'How are you?' or Go raibh maith agat to say 'Thank you'.
Did you know?
- The most common greeting Dia dhuit is actually a shortened version of a prayer asking God to be with the person being greeted.
- While Céad míle fáilte means 'a hundred thousand welcomes', the number 100,000 is used as a poetic hyperbole for 'infinity' or 'countless' in traditional Irish hospitality.
- Because beannacht shares an ancestor with the Latin 'benedictio', it is a direct cognate of the English word 'benediction'.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Oisín meet at a community event.
- SiobhánDia duit, a Oisín!Hello, Oisín!
- OisínDia duit, a Siobhán. Beannacht iontach!Hello, Siobhán. A wonderful greeting!
- SiobhánGo raibh agat.Thank you.
- OisínTá fáilte romhat.You are welcome.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry beannacht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beannacht, CC BY-SA 4.0.
