Dia duit
Word for wordGod to you
What it meansHello.
Approximate pronunciation guide
JEE-a ditch
Written for English speakers and editorial rather than sourced. It will get you close enough to be understood, and it is not a substitute for a native speaker. Recorded audio is planned; see About.
When to use it The standard greeting: safe in every register from playground to pulpit.
About this saying
The everyday Irish hello is a blessing with the seams still showing: it wishes God to the person greeted, and the traditional reply raises it (invoking Mary as well) so that an exchange of greetings is a small escalation of goodwill. The dictionary prints the exchange in full under its entry for hello.
Provenance
Where this wording comes from. We publish nothing we cannot point at.
- DictionaryForas na Gaeilge, Foclóir Nua Béarla–Gaeilge (New English-Irish Dictionary)s.v. hello, prints "Dia duit" and the exchange "'Dia duit.' 'Dia is Muire duit, cén chaoi a bhfuil tú?'"