hòigh
The English phrase "hi" can be translated into Gaelic as hòigh. Wiktionary also lists shin thu and shin sibh.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hòigh | ||
| shin thu | /hin u/ | informal, singular |
| shin sibh | /hin ʃiv/ /hin ʃu/ |
formal, plural |
hòigh is used as a friendly, informal greeting.
Which one should you use?
You may also use shin thu when addressing one person informally or shin sibh when addressing more than one person or using a formal tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The greeting shin thu is informal and singular, whereas shin sibh is formal and plural. For other contexts, Dia duit (God be with you) is a formal way to say hello, Maidin mhaith is a polite way to say "good morning" and Oíche mhaith is a formal way to say "good evening".
Did you know?
- The formal greeting Dia duit literally means 'God be with you', but in modern daily usage, it is often treated as a secular 'hello' by people regardless of their religious beliefs.
- The word thu in shin thu is a descendant of the Old Irish word tú, which also shares a common ancestor with the Irish tú and the Manx oo.
- The grammar of the greeting shin thu is built upon ancient pronouns that have survived for centuries.
Example sentences for Gaelic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Isla and Hamish meet on a street corner.
- IslaHòigh, a Hamish!Hi, Hamish!
- HamishHòigh, a Isla!Hi, Isla!
- IslaCiamar a tha thu?How are you?
- HamishTha mi gu math, tapadh leat.I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hòigh, shin thu, shin sibh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hòigh, sibh, thu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
