Sorry for your loss in Irish
Is oth liom do bhris
In Irish, the phrase to know first is "Is oth liom do bhris." (I'm sorry for your loss.). The others are below, each with a note on when to use it.
At an Irish funeral the usual words are "sorry for your trouble", and Irish has several ways to say it. Below are the condolences, the traditional blessings for the person who has died, and words for a sympathy card.
Greetings
Is oth liom do bhris.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Said to one person. Oth is regret.
Ní maith liom do thrioblóid.
I'm sorry for your trouble.
The phrase most often heard at an Irish wake.
Tá mé buartha faoi do thrioblóid.
I'm sorry for your trouble.
Buartha means sorry or worried.
Déanaim comhbhrón leat.
I offer you my sympathy.
A more formal line, to one person.
For cards and messages
Ar dheis Dé go raibh siad.
May they be at God's right hand.
The traditional blessing for the dead, here in the plural.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
May his soul be at God's right hand.
The same blessing for a man: a anam, "his soul".
Go ndéana Dia trócaire uirthi.
God rest her soul.
Literally "may God have mercy on her".
Suaimhneas síoraí dá hanam.
Eternal rest to her soul.
Another blessing for a woman who has died.
Useful words
leabhar comhbhróin
book of condolence
The book mourners sign.
About the words
The New English–Irish Dictionary gives "I'm sorry for your loss" as ní maith liom do thrioblóid, tá mé buartha faoi do thrioblóid or is oth liom do bhris. Trioblóid is trouble and briseadh is loss. Comhbhrón means condolence or sympathy; to condole with someone is comhbhrón a dhéanamh le duine. The blessing ar dheis Dé go raibh siad asks that the dead be "at the right hand of God".
Common questions
How do you say sorry for your loss in Irish?
Is oth liom do bhris, or the wake phrase Ní maith liom do thrioblóid, "I'm sorry for your trouble".
What does Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam mean?
"May his soul be at God's right hand." It is the traditional blessing for a man who has died; Wiktionary glosses it "may his soul rest in peace".
Sorry for your loss in the other Celtic languages
Further reading
Go beyond the phrases
blas. teaches Irish with spaced repetition, vocabulary, mutations, grammar, reading, and conversation. Not just for Sorry for your loss, but for life. Free to start.
Start learning IrishIrish phrases for the year ahead
Irish phrases for everyday occasions
Sources
Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (teanglann.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- blas. course data
- Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
- New English–Irish Dictionary (focloir.ie, Foras na Gaeilge)
Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.