On the hunt for the terms related to the family in Irish language? In today’s post, we will walk you through our most comprehensive list of Irish Gaelic terms so that you can use them no matter what social circumstance you are in. Also, having mastery on this will give you confidence, especially if you ever find yourself invited to join intimate gatherings (like birthdays and events) in the household. Of course, you cannot really avoid the invited relatives of your friend/colleague, right? Well, hop aboard, and let’s get learning!
Looking for another place to see this year? Then you better have Ireland listed as your destination since this place has captivating natural wonders and historical places to die for! Aside from its places, the country is also known for its professional races, literature, football and rugby team, and food! To make your travel much smoother, one of the things you should consider preparing for is the Irish language. Let’s start with the basics of family in Irish, shall we? 🙂
How To Say Family In Irish Language
Unlike the English language, the word “family” can be a bit complicated for Irish learners as there are different ways by which one can translate this word. For instance, you can use the word “clann” (not similar to Clan in English) if you mean that you refer to all the children living in the household. You can also use that same Gaelic word to refer to all of your siblings.
On the other hand, you can use the word “teaghlach“ to refer to the family living in the household. This is perhaps the most commonly used translation when you are talking about a particular family unit. Allow us to give you an example of how these major terms work:
- Tá teaghlach mór aici! (She has a big family!)
- Tá clann grámhar acu! (They have a loving family!)
You can also say “muintir” to say that you are talking about someone’s parents or people related by blood. This word can also be used in combination with surnames, as in “Muintir Torres” which means “the extended family of Torres.”
What is even more interesting is that you can also use the “mo chúram” which directly translates to “my family” in English. If you’ve got a friend who will use the word “líon tí” you can assume that the people he/she is referring to are the people living in the same house but are not really blood-related.
Other Native Family Terms You Can Use
- Cleamhnaithe = all the family relationships by virtue of marriage.
- Cairde gaoil = a word that can be used for very close family friends, and relations. (The type of people like family to you but not really related by blood).
- Daoine muinteartha = can be used as an extended meaning for family members.
- Gaolta gairide = got a really close family member? You can simply use this word.
Amazing how many available words the Irish language has to mean for families, don’t you think? At this part, let’s now move on to the exact words you can use when pointing out a particular member of the family.
Irish Gaelic Terms For The Members Of The Family
Whether you are traveling or moving to Ireland for professional reasons, you can never go wrong with trying to memorize this set of vocabulary words. Why? Well, the Irish people have a tight family bond which is why it is truly possible to meet someone who lives near a compound where their extended families live too! How cool is that?
As for the family structure, more traditional families consist of wives, husbands, and children. But given the development today, the Irish culture also provides support and fully embraces alternative forms, including single-parent, LGBTQI+, single-person families. Now that we already understand this, let’s now move on to the exact translations for every home member.
Family Member | Irish Gaelic |
grandparents | seanmhuintir |
grandfather | seanathair / daideó / móraí/ athair mór |
grandmother | seanmháthair / maimeó / máthair mhór |
grandchildren | clann clainne |
grandson | garmhac / ó/ua (archaic) |
granddaughter | gariníon |
grand nephew | garnia |
grand niece | garneacht |
great grandfather | sin-seanathair |
great grandmother | sin-seanmháthair |
great uncle | sean-uncail / uncail mhór |
great aunt | sean-aintín / aintín mhór |
parents | tuismitheoirí |
father | athair / dadaí |
mother | máthair / mamaí |
children | clann / páiste |
son | mac |
daughter | iníon |
husband | fear (céile) |
wife | bean (chéile) |
brother | deartháir |
sister | deirfiúr |
uncle | uncail |
aunt | aintín |
cousin | col ceathar / ceathrair |
nephew | nia |
nephew | mac dearthár (brother’s son) |
nephew | mac deirféar (sister’s son) |
niece | neacht |
niece | iníon dearthár (brother’s daughter) |
niece | iníon deirféar (sister’s daughter) |
father-in-law | athair céile |
mother-in-law | máthair chéile |
brother-in-law | deartháir céile |
sister-in-law | deirfiúr chleamhnais |
Now that we already know how to connect these Irish terms to their translation, we hope that you were able to get all the information you’d ever need to speak confidently when the time comes. Suppose you enjoyed this post and would love to practice the essential phrases. In that case, we highly recommend that you search no more and read our previous posts like introducing yourself, saying the greetings, and the terms related to transportation.
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Get To Know The Irish Gaelic Language For Free
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What makes it different is that the whole lesson is checked and developed by real native speakers. With this being said, you can rest assured knowing that the phrases and translations (especially for slang and cultural meaning) are correct. Also, if you are still shy and unsure how to use the learned items from here, you can make use of its AI-based chatbot!
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