Translate English to Irish
Irish (Gaeilge) is the first official language of Ireland and an official language of the European Union. While English dominates daily life in most of Ireland, Irish is spoken as a community language in Gaeltacht regions along the western coast and is a compulsory school subject for all Irish students. Paste your English text above to see the Irish translation.
Common English to Irish translations
| English | Irish | Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duit | DEE-ah gwit | ||
| Good morning | Maidin mhaith | MAH-jin wah | ||
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agat | guh rev mah AH-gut | ||
| Please | Le do thoil | leh duh hull | ||
| How much is this? | Cé mhéad atá air seo? | kay vayd ah-TAW ehr shuh | ||
| Where is the bathroom? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas? | kaw will on LEH-ras | ||
| I do not understand | Ní thuigim | nee HIG-im | ||
| Can you help me? | An féidir leat cabhrú liom? | on FAY-dir lat COW-roo lum | ||
| I would like tea | Ba mhaith liom tae | bah wah lum tay | ||
| The bill, please | An bille, le do thoil | on BILL-eh leh duh hull | ||
| Nice to meet you | Tá áthas orm bualadh leat | taw AW-hus urm BOO-lah lat | ||
| Goodbye | Slán | slawn | ||
| I need a doctor | Tá doctúir ag teastáil uaim | taw dok-TOOR eg TASH-tawl oo-im | ||
| Excuse me | Gabh mo leithscéal | gov muh LESH-kayl |
Tips for English to Irish translation
Irish uses initial mutations (lenition and eclipsis) that change the first letter of a word based on grammatical context. “A woman” is bean, but “the woman” is an bhean (the b becomes bh, pronounced like V). “Their house” is a dteach (the t is eclipsed by d). These mutations are not errors; they are core grammar rules that affect nearly every sentence.
Irish word order is verb-subject-object (VSO), which is uncommon among European languages. “The boy reads a book” is Léann an buachaill leabhar (reads the boy book). This order applies to every standard Irish sentence and must be rearranged when translating to English SVO order.
The Irish spelling system looks complex but follows consistent rules. Consonants are either “broad” (flanked by a, o, u) or “slender” (flanked by e, i). The principle caol le caol, leathan le leathan (slender with slender, broad with broad) governs which vowels appear beside which consonants. Many of the extra vowels in Irish words are there to mark consonant quality, not to be pronounced themselves.
Irish has three main dialects: Munster (south), Connacht (west), and Ulster (north). They differ in pronunciation, some vocabulary, and a few grammar points. Written Irish follows a single standard (An Caighdeán Oifigiúil) used in government, education, and media. The translator outputs this standard form.
About the Irish language
Irish belongs to the Goidelic branch of the Celtic language family, alongside Scottish Gaelic and Manx. It has been spoken in Ireland for at least 2,500 years and has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Europe, with texts dating from the 6th century AD. The language survived centuries of English colonization, famine, and emigration, though its speaker base shrank dramatically.
Today about 1.7 million people in Ireland report some ability in Irish, though daily speakers number closer to 70,000-80,000, mostly in Gaeltacht regions of Galway, Kerry, Donegal, and Cork. Irish is a compulsory subject in schools and is used in government, courts, and the EU. There has been a significant revival movement in recent decades, with Irish-medium schools (Gaelscoileanna), Irish-language social media, and the TG4 television channel all contributing to increased visibility and use.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. No sign-up, no fees, no limits.
The language is called Irish (Gaeilge) in Ireland. “Gaelic” can refer to Irish, Scottish Gaelic, or Manx. This translator handles Irish specifically.
Yes. Click the speaker icon. Irish pronunciation is very different from how the spelling suggests to English speakers.
Grammar rules that change the first letter of a word. Lenition adds an H after the consonant (b becomes bh). Eclipsis adds a new consonant before the original (t becomes dt). Both are standard Irish grammar.
Good for everyday use and school exercises. For official, legal, or published Irish, consult a native speaker or professional translator.
Related but separate languages. They share common ancestry but have diverged enough that speakers cannot easily understand each other.
Visit our Irish to English page.
Yes. Nothing stored or shared.
The grammar and spelling system are different from English, but the pronunciation is regular once learned. The main challenge is the initial mutations and the VSO word order.
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