go raibh maith agat
/ɡəɾˠəˈmˠahəɡət̪ˠ/
go raibh maith agat is the Irish way to say thanks.
The phrase is used to express appreciation or gratitude. You can add arís to the end of the phrase to say thanks again, as in go raibh maith agat arís. An informal way to say thank you, my friend is Go raibh maith agat, a chara.
Meaning: used to express appreciation or gratitude (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase go raibh maith agat literally translates to 'may good be at you'.
Which one should you use?
go raibh maith agat is used when thanking a single person, whereas go raibh maith agat sibh is used for multiple people.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'thanks' to more than one person or to use a formal register, change agat to sibh to create go raibh maith agat sibh.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəɾˠəˈmˠahəɡət̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- In Irish culture, the concept of gratitude is expressed as a wish for the other person to possess 'goodness' rather than a direct statement of the speaker's feeling.
- The word go in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English prefix 'gain-' and the German word 'gegen'.
- The verb in go raibh maith agat is in the subjunctive mood, which expresses a wish or a prayer rather than a simple statement of fact.
Examples in context
- Go raibh maith agat roimh ré.Thanks in advance.This sentence is useful for expressing thanks in advance using go raibh maith agat.Tatoeba #8239950 by SadeceTurkce, translation #273600 by CK
- Go raibh maith agatThank you
Example conversation
Cathal gives Niamh a book she wanted.
- NiamhAn bhfuil an leabhar anseo?Is the book here?
- CathalTá, seo é duit.Yes, here it is for you.
- NiamhGo raibh maith agat, a Chathal.Thanks, Cathal.
- CathalTá fáilte romhat, a Niamh.You're welcome, Niamh.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry go raibh maith agat, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agat, go, go raibh maith agat, maith, raibh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
