Oíche mhaith
/iː ˈwa/
To say "have a good night" in Irish, use Oíche mhaith.
This phrase is a polite greeting used when leaving someone or saying goodbye in the evening.
How do you pronounce it?
/iː ˈwa/
Did you know?
- The word oíche may be a distant relative of the Sanskrit word andha, which means 'blind'.
- While Oíche mhaith is common, a more traditional way to bid someone goodnight is to say Oíche linn, which translates to 'a night with us'.
- In many Irish-speaking communities, a simple 'good night' is often replaced by a religious blessing, such as 'Beannacht leat' (blessing with you), when departing.
Examples in context
- Slán go fóill! Oíche mhaith!Goodbye for now! Good night!
- Slán agus oíche mhaith.Goodbye and have a good night.
Example conversation
Oisín is leaving Saoirse's house after a visit in the evening.
- OisínSlán agat, Saoirse.Goodbye, Saoirse.
- SaoirseSlán leat, Oisín. Oíche mhaith agat.Goodbye, Oisín. Have a good night.
- OisínGo raibh maith agat. Oíche mhaith leat.Thank you. Have a good night.
- SaoirseSlán!Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry oíche mhaith.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oíche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
