fáilte ar ais
The Irish phrase for "welcome back" is fáilte ar ais.
fáilte ar ais can be used as an interjection to greet someone upon their arrival.
Meaning: welcome back (phrase)
Which one should you use?
You can use the more elaborate Céad míle fáilte ort ar ais! to express "a hundred thousand welcomes back to you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is used as an interjection and does not change its form based on the person being welcomed.
Did you know?
- The word ais in fáilte ar ais is related to the Latin 'axis' and the English 'axle', imagining a return as a rotation back to a center point.
- In the phrase Céad míle fáilte, the number 'hundred thousand' is used as a hyperbolic way to express extreme generosity and warmth.
Examples in context
- Fáilte ar ais!Welcome back!
- Fáilte ar ais chuig Éire.Welcome back to Ireland.
- Fáilte ar ais don teanga!Welcome back to the language!
Example conversation
Aoife returns to her hometown after a long trip.
- ConorFáilte ar ais, a Aoife!Welcome back, Aoife!
- AoifeGo raibh maith agat, a Chonaire.Thank you, Conor.
- ConorAn raibh an turas go maith?Was the trip good?
- AoifeBaaí sé iontach, go deo!It was wonderful, indeed!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome back” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ais, ar, fáilte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
