sàbhailte
The Gaelic word for "safe" is sàbhailte.
The adjective sàbhailte is used to describe something that is free from risk.
Meaning: free from risk (adj)
Did you know?
- In certain traditional contexts, saying someone is sàbhailte can imply they are 'saved' in a spiritual or religious sense, rather than just physically unharmed.
- If you want to say 'stay safe' as a parting wish, Gaelic speakers often use phrases related to 'health' or 'protection' rather than a literal translation of sàbhailte.
- The root of sàbhailte is found in the word sàbhail, which means both 'to save' and 'to keep safe'. In Gaelic, the act of saving someone and the state of being safe are linguistically the same action.
Examples in context
- Tóg go bog é! Bíodh spraoi agat!Take it easy! Have fun!
- Tha an taigh sàbhailte.The house is safe.
- Tha an rathad sàbhailte an-dràsta.The road is safe now.
Example conversation
Isla and Hamish are discussing a walking route.
- IslaAn e an an t-slighe seo sàbhailte, a Hamish?Is this route safe, Hamish?
- HamishTha, tha i gu math sàbhailte.Yes, it is very safe.
- IslaTha mi gluaisil a bhith sàbhailte.I am glad to be safe.
- HamishCha bhiodh iad a' dèanamh sgìth.They wouldn't be doing harm.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sàbhailte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
