Bíodh lá maith agat
To say have a nice day in Irish, use Bíodh lá maith agat.
Bíodh lá maith agat is said when parting from someone, wishing them a good day.
Meaning: goodbye (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Bíodh means may there be, lá means day, maith means good and agat means at you. Irish expresses having something as it being at you.
How does it change in a sentence?
agat is for one person. Speaking to more than one person, it changes to the plural form.
Did you know?
- While Bíodh lá maith agat wishes someone a good day, the traditional Irish greeting Dia duit literally translates to 'God be with you'.
- In some regions, a common response to a parting wish is Slán, which means 'safe' or 'healthy' rather than just 'goodbye'.
- The word 'maith' shares a common Celtic ancestor with the Welsh word 'mad' and the Breton word 'mat', highlighting a deep linguistic connection across the Celtic languages.
Examples in context
- Bíodh lá maith agat.Have a nice day.
- Slán, bíodh lá maith agat!Goodbye, have a nice day!
Example conversation
Cian and Saoirse are leaving a cafe.
- CianBíodh lá maith agat, a Saoirse.Have a nice day, Saoirse.
- SaoirseGo raibh lá maith agat féin, a Chian.Have a nice day yourself, Cian.
- CianFeicfidh mé tú amárach.I will see you tomorrow.
- SaoirseSlán go fóill!Bye for now!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agat, lá, maith, CC BY-SA 4.0.
