fáilte abhaile
/ˈfˠɑːlʲtʲə əˈwalʲə/word by word
To say "welcome home" in Irish, use fáilte abhaile.
Meaning: welcome home (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of fáilte (welcome) and abhaile (home/to home).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Connacht dialect, some speakers may say Fáilte abhaile ort to convey the sentiment of welcome home.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word abhaile is an adverbial form used to indicate movement towards home, rather than the noun for a house.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfˠɑːlʲtʲə əˈwalʲə/
Did you know?
- The term fáilte is etymologically linked to the Proto-Indo-European root *welh₁, which is thought to relate to the concept of 'being well' or 'healthy'.
- While abhaile means 'home' in this phrase, it is derived from baile, which originally referred to a 'townland' or 'place'.
- In the Connacht variation Fáilte abhaile ort, the word ort literally means 'on you', suggesting that the welcome is being placed upon the person.
Examples in context
- Fáilte abhaile ort!Welcome home to you!
- Fáilte abhaile daoibh!Welcome home to you all!
- Fáilte abhaile arís!Welcome home again!
Example conversation
Cathal arrives home after a long trip.
- NiamhFáilte abhaile, a Chathal!Welcome home, Cathal!
- CathalGo raibh an t-ádh ort, a Niamh.Thank you, Niamh.
- NiamhAn bhfuil tú tuirseach?Are you tired?
- CathalTá, ach tá mé sona a bheith anseo.Yes, but I am happy to be here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome home” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (fáilte, abhaile) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abhaile, fáilte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
