Free survival kit

Irlandais survival kit

The 20 essential phrases and 103 key words to get by in Irlandais when travelling.

20 phrases
103 key words in the PDF

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Greetings

Irlandais	English
Dia duit	hello (lit. God to you)
Dia is Muire duit	hello (response, lit. God and Mary to you)
Conas atá tú?	how are you?
Maidin mhaith	good morning
Tráthnóna maith	good afternoon / good evening
Oíche mhaith	good night
Slán	bye / farewell
Slán leat	goodbye (to one leaving)

Asking for directions

Irlandais	English
Conas?	how?
Cá?	where?
Cad?	what?
Cé?	who?

Emergencies

Irlandais	English
ceann	head
súil	eye
cluas	ear
béal	mouth

At the restaurant

Irlandais	English
arán	bread
uisce	water
bainne	milk
feoil	meat

30 key words to remember

Irlandais	English
Slán agat	goodbye (to one staying)
mé	I / me
tú	you (singular)
sé	he / it (m.)
sí	she / it (f.)
muid	we
sibh	you (plural)
siad	they
mise	me (emphatic)
tá mé	I am
téim	I go
tagaim	I come
labhraím	I speak
oibrím	I work
feicim	I see
cloisim	I hear
tuigim	I understand
ithim	I eat
ólaim	I drink
Is mise	I am (name)
Cén fáth?	why?
Cén uair?	when?
Cé mhéad?	how many / how much?
a haon	one
a dó	two
a trí	three
a ceathair	four
a cúig	five
a sé	six
a seacht	seven

In context: 5 scenes to get by

On arrival

You land at Dublin airport in the early morning. You greet the agent at the information desk with the traditional phrase, you ask how he is doing and you wish him a good morning before continuing.

Dia duit : hello (lit. God to you)
Dia is Muire duit : hello (response, lit. God and Mary to you)
Conas atá tú? : how are you?
Maidin mhaith : good morning

In a taxi

You get into a taxi outside the airport. You ask the driver how to get to Temple Bar, where your accommodation is, who runs it and who is waiting for you on arrival. The conversation is lively.

Conas? : how?
Cá? : where?
Cad? : what?
Cé? : who?

At the café

You sit in a traditional pub in Connemara. You order fresh bread (the famous Irish brown bread), a tall glass of water, milk for the tea and meat for the evening meal.

arán : bread
uisce : water
bainne : milk
feoil : meat

In an emergency

You slipped on the Cliffs of Moher and feel a sharp pain in your head. You explain your state to a fellow hiker, pointing to the affected eye and ear. You also mention pain in your mouth after a knock.

ceann : head
súil : eye
cluas : ear
béal : mouth

On departure

It is your last day in Ireland. You greet your host in the afternoon with the evening phrase, you wish him a good night before bed, then you say goodbye in the morning with a final slan leat on the doorstep.

Tráthnóna maith : good afternoon / good evening
Oíche mhaith : good night
Slán : bye / farewell
Slán leat : goodbye (to one leaving)

Cultural notes

Irish carries immense national pride, even among Irish people who do not speak it fluently. Greeting with Dia duit or thanking with go raibh maith agat deeply impresses your interlocutor, whether they are a native speaker or not.
The Gaeltachtai are regions where Irish remains the daily language: Connemara (Galway), Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Waterford and Cork. Visiting these areas is the chance to hear the living language and exchange with native speakers.
Irish has three main dialects (Munster, Connacht, Ulster) that differ noticeably in pronunciation and vocabulary. The standard form, An Caighdean Oifigiuil, is used in education and administration.
Irish pub culture is sacred. Entering one to listen to a seisiun (traditional music session) in the evening is a must-do experience. Silence while a musician plays or sings is a sign of respect to observe absolutely.
Craic (pronounced crack) refers to the good vibe, lively conversation, shared fun. Asking what's the craic? is a very common greeting in Ireland, in every region.
Avoid confusing the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. The two territories have different histories, currencies (euro vs pound sterling) and sensitivities. The distinction matters.
The word slainte (health) accompanies every toast. It is pronounced slawn-cha. Raising your pint of Guinness while looking each person in the group in the eye before drinking is the expected social custom.
Irish humor is quick, self-deprecating and abundant. Responding tit-for-tat with lightness instantly creates a bond. Irish people appreciate travelers who dare to laugh at themselves and join in the banter.

Keep the whole kit on your phone

The 20 phrases, 103 key words and the cultural notes in a PDF to keep offline or print. We also send it to you by e-mail.

A family language

Reconnect with Irish

The language of your parents, your grandparents or your partner. The one you want to pass on to your children.

A couple hugging on a terrace — Speaking the language of the country means reconnecting with its people.

A mother and her daughter sitting on a rug — Now, at home, we speak Irish.

A young woman smiles on the phone — “Hi Mum, I speak Irish!”

A father holds his daughter close — Children who speak Irish are the greatest cultural wealth you can bring to your family.

A grandmother and her granddaughter in the kitchen — Your grandparents’ Irish should not end with them.

Finally understand what is said at the table, and answer back.
Your in-laws speak Irish to you. Answer them in Irish.

A language is passed down from generation to generation. Now it is your turn.

Start Irlandais for free

About this kit

Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic Celtic language, the first official language of the Republic of Ireland. Although spoken daily by about 70,000 native speakers in the Gaeltachtai, it is studied by 1.7 million Irish people and recognized by the European Union. Written in the Latin alphabet with its lenition system, it carries a rich literary and oral tradition.

Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic Celtic language, the first official language of the Republic of Ireland alongside English. Recognized as an official language of the European Union since 2007, it has about 70,000 daily native speakers in the Gaeltachtai (Connemara, Kerry, Donegal, Mayo, Waterford, Cork) and more than 1.7 million people able to read or speak it to various degrees in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The alphabet used is Gaelic Latin, a simplified version of classical Latin with only 18 letters. Vowels are classified as broad (a, o, u) or slender (e, i), a distinction that modifies the pronunciation of neighboring consonants according to precise rules (caol le caol, leathan le leathan). Lenition (soft mutation marked by an h after the consonant, sometimes written with a dot above in traditional calligraphy) and eclipsis are the most disorienting grammatical features for English speakers, but also the most poetic of the language.

Ireland has experienced a spectacular revival of Gaeilge since the 2000s, driven by Gaelscoileanna immersive schools, the TG4 channel, the Duolingo app and a strong social media presence. Mastering a few Irish words opens the doors of pubs, seisiuni and families in the Gaeltachtai. This kit gathers the essentials to handle an arrival at Dublin airport, find your way around the city center, order in a traditional pub, signal an emergency and say goodbye gracefully. You will find key greetings (Dia duit, go raibh maith agat, slan), basic vocabulary and cultural tips to avoid faux pas. Memorize these expressions before leaving and you will gain confidence from the very first hours on site.

Sources and references

Every translation is cross-checked against at least two concordant sources among the references below.

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