Hi everyone,

I'm writing my Christmas cards at the moment and want to say "Merry Christmas". I know that I can just write "Nollaig Shona, etc." but I wanted to embellish this a bit. So I came up with:

"Go raibh Nollaig Shona agat".

However, another possibility comes into my head:

"Bíodh Nollaig Shona agat".

(Not necessarily related to the "Merry Christmas" translation) Could someone explain to me why in some cases you use "Go raibh" (the past subjunctive I think, eg. "go raibh maith agat") and in some cases you would use "Bíodh" (eg. "bíodh lá maith agat")?

I'm confused,

Briain.

I think it's as simple as "Have" vs "May you have" though I could be wrong.

That's about it, I think.

Bíodh ~ agat "Have ~"
Go raibh ~ agat "May you have ~"

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

I am interested in this question too. I have never thought about it before. Does that mean that, except for set phrases eg. 'go raibh maith agat', these are totally interchangeable?

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There is a different in tone. Bíodh is an order, go raibh is a wish.

Bíodh lá maith agat. "Have a nice day."
Go raibh lá maith agat. "May you have a nice day."

Bíodh ciall agat. "Have some sense."
Go raibh ciall agat. "May you have some sense (one day)."

(I don't know if you can really say the second one (of the two with ciall), but if you can, it would have a different nuance from the first.)

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

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great question!

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Personally I prefer -
Nollaig Mhaith

To me Nollaig Shona sounds like Béarlachas.

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It is recommended that you always wait for three to agree on a translation.
I speak Connemara Irish, and my input will often reflect that.
I will do an mp3 file on request for short translations.
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Really! Next you are going to tell us that Santa isn't real.....

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