Dia dhuit
/ˌdʲiə ˈɣɪtʲ/formal, singular
Hello in Irish is Dia dhuit. Wiktionary also lists Dia dhaoibh and Dia's Muire dhuit.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dia dhuit | /ˌdʲiə ˈɣɪtʲ/ | formal, singular |
| Dia dhaoibh | /ˌdʲiə ˈɣiːvʲ/ /ˌdʲiə ˈjiːbʲ/ (Aran) |
formal, plural |
| Dia's Muire dhuit | formal, singular | |
| Dia's Muire dhaoibh | formal, plural |
Haigh is an informal way to say hi. Oíche mhaith is a phrase meaning good night used to greet someone in the evening or bid farewell.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Dia dhuit literally translates to God with you.
Which one should you use?
Use Dia dhuit for one person and Dia dhaoibh for a group of people.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms Dia dhuit, Dia dhaoibh, Dia's Muire dhuit and Dia's Muire dhaoibh are all formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
Dia dhaoibh is the plural form used when greeting more than one person.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdʲiə ˈɣɪtʲ/
When do people say it?
The longer forms Dia's Muire dhuit or Dia's Muire dhaoibh add a religious blessing by including the Virgin Mary. When someone says Dia dhuit to you, a common and polite response is Dia is Muire dhuit, meaning God and Mary be with you.
Did you know?
- The word Dia in Dia dhuit is a cognate of the Latin word deus and the Sanskrit word devá. Both originate from the same ancient root for 'sky god' used across the Indo-European world.
- The plural greeting Dia dhaoibh is used not just for groups, but also as a sign of extreme respect when addressing a single person of high status.
- The word Dia is a homonym in Irish. Depending on the context, it can mean either 'God' or 'day'.
Examples in context
- Dia dhuit, a chara.Hello, friend.
Example conversation
Aoife enters a small local shop where Cathal is working.
- AoifeDia dhuit, a Chathail.Hello, Cathal.
- CathalDia dhuit, a Aoife.Hello, Aoife.
- AoifeAn bhfuil an t-arán ann?Is there any bread?
- CathalTá, tá an t-arán anseo.Yes, the bread is here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries Dia dhuit, Dia dhaoibh, Dia's Muire dhuit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dia, Dia dhuit, Dia's Muire dhuit, Muire, dia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
