tá grá agam duit
In Irish, "I love you" can be expressed as tá grá agam duit. Wiktionary also lists tá grá agam dhuit and mo ghrá thú.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| tá grá agam duit | |
| tá grá agam dhuit | |
| mo ghrá thú | /mˠə ɣɾˠɑː huː/ |
These phrases are used to express romantic feelings. While tá grá agam duit is the standard way to say "I love you," the phrase mo ghrá thú functions as a poetic way to say "you are my love."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tá grá agam duit literally translates to "there is love at me to you".
Which one should you use?
tá grá agam duit is the standard and common way to express the feeling of love. In contrast, mo ghrá thú is a more poetic or direct way of saying "you are my love".
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to one person in an informal or familiar context, use tá grá agam dhuit. To say "I love you" to more than one person, change the ending to tá grá agam daoibh. Unlike the verb-based common expressions, mo ghrá thú functions as "you are my love".
Did you know?
- The word grá is a descendant of the Proto-Celtic word *gʷrātus, showing that the root of this expression has survived for thousands of years.
- The phrase tá grá agam duit mirrors how Irish expresses other internal states, such as hunger or cold, treating them as things one 'has' rather than feelings one 'is'.
- The word grá is used in the Irish phrase for 'sweetheart' a chuisle mo chroí, which literally means 'the pulse of my heart'.
Examples in context
- Tá grá agam duit.I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase tá grá agam duit.Tatoeba #934942 by Shiawase, translation #1434 by awael58
- Tá grá agam duit, a Mháire.I have love for you, Mary.
- Tá grá agam duit, a thaisce.I love you, my treasure.
- Níl aon amhrú, tá grá agam duit.There is no doubt, I love you.
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before work.
- SiobhánSlán go curadh, tá grá agam duit.Goodbye for now, I love you.
- CathalTá grá agam duit أيضاً, a Siobhán.I love you too, Siobhán.
- SiobhánFeicfidh mé tú anocht.I will see you tonight.
- CathalGo bhá go hmaidne.Until then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries tá grá agam dhuit, mo ghrá thú, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agam, duit, grá, mo, mo ghrá thú, thú, tá grá agam dhuit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
