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 |
The standard greeting is Dia dhuit. For a more elaborate and religious variation, you can use Dia's Muire dhuit, which means 'God and Mary be with you'. If you are looking for an informal way to say hello equivalent to the English 'hi', you can use Haigh.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Dia dhuit literally means 'God with you'.
Which one should you use?
Dia dhuit is used for a single person, whereas Dia dhaoibh is used for a group. Similarly, the religious variations change based on the number of people: use Dia's Muire dhuit for one person and Dia's Muire dhaoibh for more than one.
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 considered formal. For an informal greeting, use Haigh.
How does it change in a sentence?
When greeting more than one person, use Dia dhaoibh instead of Dia dhuit.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌdʲiə ˈɣɪtʲ/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Dia duit, a Mháire. Conas atá tú?Hello, Mary. How are you?
- Haigh, a chara! Conas atá cúrsaí?Hi, my friend! How are things?
- Dia dhuit.Hello.
- Dia dhuit a chara.Hello, my friend.
- Dia dhuit, conas atá tú?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Oisín meets Aoife on the street.
- OisínDia dhuit, Aoife.Hello, Aoife.
- AoifeDia dhuit, a Oisín.Hello, Oisín.
- OisínConas atá tú?How are you?
- AoifeTá mé go maith, go raibh maith agat.I am well, thank you.
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.
