is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire
The Irish phrase for the Hail Mary prayer is is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire. If unsure, use is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire. Wiktionary also lists An tÁivé Máiria.
Meaning: prayer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | Note |
|---|---|
| is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire | |
| An tÁivé Máiria | masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
The literal translation of is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire is "it is your greeting, O Mary".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire, the name Mhuire is in the vocative case, which is used when addressing someone directly.
Did you know?
- In Irish, the phrase is é do Bheatha does not use a verb meaning 'hail' but instead wishes 'life' upon the person. It literally frames the greeting as 'your life is it'.
- In Irish, adding the particle a before Mhuire signals that the person is being spoken to directly. This 'vocative' change is why the 'M' in 'Muire' changes to 'Mh' and sounds like a 'V' or 'W'.
- The word is used to start the prayer comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ésti, which is the same root that produced the English word 'is'.
Example sentences for Irish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Aoife and Oisín are in a church.
- AoifeAn bhfuil tú ag praying, a Oisín?Are you praying, Oisín?
- OisínTá, tá mé ag rá is é do Bheatha, a Mhuire.Yes, I am saying the Hail Mary.
- AoifeIs prayer go hálainn é sin.That is a beautiful prayer.
- OisínTá, is é an t-aon rud a chabhraíonn liom.Yes, it is the only thing that helps me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hail mary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries do, is, é, CC BY-SA 4.0.
