Nollaig Shona
Nollaig Shona is the Irish way to say happy xmas.
This phrase is used as a greeting to wish someone a joyful Christmas.
Did you know?
- The word Nollaig shares a common ancestor with the English word 'natal', used in phrases like 'prenatal' or 'postnatal' to describe things related to birth.
- In Irish, the adjective shona (happy) comes after the noun Nollaig, which is the opposite of the English word order.
- If you are greeting a single person, you might say Nollaig Shona duit, but if you are greeting a group, you must use Nollaig Shona daoibh to correctly address everyone.
Examples in context
- Nollaig Shona do teaghlach!Merry Christmas to your family!
Example conversation
Siobhán and Cathal meet on the street before the holidays.
- SiobhánNollaig Shona agat, a Cathal!Happy Christmas to you, Cathal!
- CathalGo raibh maith agat, Siobhán! Nollaig Shona agat chomhly.Thank you, Siobhán! Happy Christmas to you too.
- SiobhánAn bhfuil tú ag dul go baile?Are you going home?
- CathalTá, beidh mé ansin amárach.Yes, I will be there tomorrow.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nollaig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
