“Congratulations” in Irish

The word “Comhghairdeachas” is a compound word of “comh-” and “gairdeachas”, meaning “joy” or “gladness” (you will also encounter the slightly shorter alternative, and more standardised word, “Comhghairdeas”).

The Irish language distinguishes between “you” singular and “you” plural. When speaking directly to one person, you might say “Comhghairdeachas leat!”, and to a group of people, “Comhghairdeachas libh!” This can be supplemented with a phrase such as “ó chroí” (from the heart), for added emphasis, e.g. Comhghairdeachas ó chroí leat, a chara! (A hearty congratulations, friend!).

Other phrases you could use to praise someone include “Maith thú!” (well done), “Bulaí fir!” (good man) and “Maith an bhean!” (good woman).

Watch this video to practice your pronunciation of the word “Comhghairdeachas”. The next step after this is to speak with someone else, so come along to our next Free Workshop or join a 7-week Introductory course – beidh fáilte romhat!