A guide on how to use the Irish most beloved and somehow confusing expression.
As soon as you set foot on the Emerald Isle, you will be greeted by the cheerful Irish accent.
Although the Irish accent may seem exotic to some of you, even if you are familiar with the English language, it is the expressions that will surely cause you problems and make you ask the person you are talking to to repeat themselves. “Come again?” might be asked a few times during your trip.
Where it comes from – understanding the essence of the expression
The most common and beloved Irish expression is as charming and complex as their personality. Thus, “I’m grand” can mean a myriad of things and its opposite.
Don’t worry, we are here to help you read between the lines. More than an expression, we’ve analyzed it into a concept that could sum up how to have the best interactions and avoid any awkwardness!
The idea is that you use “I’m grand” as a reflex response to any situation that arises. Good or bad. And mostly bad, as Irish people like to disguise the most embarrassing situations with a certain humility and irony.
Therefore, “I’m grand” is not always (and rarely) a demonstration of feeling “big” but instead an understatement that is favoured over grandiosity.
The different uses of “I’m grand” – how to use the expression like a true Irish person
The most common use of this classic Irish phrase goes as follows:
“How are you?
“I’m grand”.
Whether you feel happy, neutral, or actually depressed. Then, there’s the polite refusal:
“Would you like to grab a cup of coffee?”
“I’m grand. Thank you”.
You can use this marvellous expression to casually say that you are not interested without hurting anybody’s feelings. A small variation to agree to something satisfactory:
“We should go visit this place after lunch.
“That’s grand”.
Although you got a somewhat positive answer, you’ll never know if it was a good idea to suggest this place! That’s probably just as well.
A classic Irish expression – with lots of different meanings
The classic Irish expression is as versatile as it gets. Its meaning can change depending on the intonation you use and the way you say it!
The Irish journalist and singer Shay Healy wrote in the Irish Daily Mail that the expression is “a powerful word that can confirm the truth or varnish a lie in a way that keeps the social wheels permanently oiled”.
There you have it! Hope you have a better understanding of the expression, and if it still sounds a bit confusing, well, that’s grand.
