Good luck in Scottish Gaelic

Gun tèid leat

In Scottish Gaelic, the phrase to know first is "Gun tèid leat!" (Good luck! (to one person)). The others are below, each with a note on when to use it.

Scottish Gaelic has several ways to say good luck, and most change with the number of people. Below are the wishes for one person and for more than one.

Greetings

Gun tèid leat!

Good luck! (to one person)

Literally "may it go with you".

Guma math a thèid leat!

Good luck! (to one person)

Literally "may it go well with you".

Fortan leat!

Good luck! (to one person)

Literally "luck with you".

Fortan leibh!

Good luck! (to more than one, or polite)

Leibh is the plural or polite form.

Sealbh ort!

Good luck! (to one person)

Literally "luck on you".

Sealbh oirbh!

Good luck! (to more than one, or polite)

Oirbh is the plural or polite form.

Airson soirbheas!

For good luck!

Soirbheas is prosperity or success.

About the words

Wiktionary marks gun tèid leat and gur math a thèid leat as informal and singular. Fortan leat is literally "luck with you" and sealbh ort "luck on you"; their plural or formal forms are fortan leibh and sealbh oirbh. Sealbh means both possession and luck.

Common questions

How do you say good luck in Gaelic?

To one person, Gun tèid leat! or Fortan leat!; to more than one, Fortan leibh!

Good luck in the other Celtic languages

Irish

Ádh mór!

Welsh

Pob lwc!

Cornish

Chons da!

Manx

Aigh vie ort!

Breton

Chañs vat!

Further reading

Irish vs Scottish Gaelic: how different are they really?→The 6 Celtic Languages: how they are related, how they compare→About learning Scottish Gaelic on blas.→

Scottish Gaelic is on blas. now

Grammar, mutations, vocabulary, and reading with spaced repetition. The Scottish Gaelic course is in the blas. app now.

Start learning Scottish Gaelic

Scottish Gaelic phrases for the year ahead

Halloween

31 October

St Andrew's Day

30 November

Christmas

25 December

Hogmanay

31 December

Burns Night

25 January

St Brigid's Day

1 February

Valentine's Day

14 February

Easter

Easter Sunday (March or April)

Beltane (May Day)

1 May

Royal National Mòd

October (dates vary)

Scottish Gaelic phrases for everyday occasions

Happy birthday

Congratulations

Sorry for your loss

Thank you

Welcome

Cheers

I love you

Good morning

Good night

Sources

Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.