How to Say “Hello and Welcome” in Irish

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dia duit agus fáilte
In Irish, "hello and welcome" is said as dia duit agus fáilte.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used to receive guests or to begin a presentation. The word fáilte itself means "welcome" as a noun or an interjection. For a more enthusiastic greeting, you might use the expression Céad míle fáilte, which means "A hundred thousand welcomes".

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of three parts: dia duit means "God be with you", agus means "and" and fáilte means "welcome".

Which one should you use?

The first part of the phrase, dia duit, is the singular form of the greeting. If you are greeting a group of people, you should change this part to dia daoibh, making the full phrase dia daoibh agus fáilte.

Did you know?

  • While dia duit literally refers to God, it is used as a secular 'hello' across all levels of society, regardless of the speaker's religious beliefs.
  • The word agus originally meant 'proximity' or 'near' before it evolved into the standard word for 'and'.

Examples in context

  • Dia duit agus fáilte go léir.
    Hello and welcome to everyone.

Example conversation

Niamh greets Cathal at her front door.

  1. Niamh

    Dia duit agus fáilte, a Chathail!
    Hello and welcome, Cathal!
  2. Cathal

    Go raibh maith agat, a Niamh.
    Thank you, Niamh.
  3. Niamh

    Tarraing an cathaoir anall.
    Pull the chair over.
  4. Cathal

    Tá an teach go hálainn.
    The house is beautiful.

Sources

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Shaun Floyd
Shaun FloydHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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