fáilte go hÉirinn
fáilte go hÉirinn is the Irish way to say welcome to Ireland.
This phrase is a greeting used to welcome someone who has just arrived in Ireland.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of fáilte meaning welcome, go meaning to and hÉirinn which is the form of Ireland used after the preposition.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for Ireland, Éire, takes an h prefix and changes its ending to hÉirinn because it follows the preposition go in this context.
Did you know?
- The word go is a distant relative of the English prefix 'gain-' and the Spanish word con. They all share an ancient ancestor meaning 'with' or 'along'.
- The 'h' added to hÉirinn is called a lenition. It is not a separate letter but a marker that changes the sound of the following consonant, often softening it.
- While fáilte is the standard word for 'welcome', it is also used as a noun to describe the actual act of hospitality and the warmth shown to a guest.
Examples in context
- Fáilte go hÉirinn!Welcome to Ireland!
Example conversation
Niamh greets Conor at the airport.
- NiamhDia duit, Conor! Fáilte go hÉirinn.Hello, Conor! Welcome to Ireland.
- ConorGo raibh maith agat, a Niamh.Thank you, Niamh.
- NiamhAn bhfuil tú tuirseach?Are you tired?
- ConorTá, ach táim an-sáitheach anseo.Yes, but I am very happy here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fáilte, go, CC BY-SA 4.0.
