bean sí
/bʲanˠ ʃiː/feminine
The English phrase 'banshee' is translated into Irish as bean sí.
In Irish folklore, a bean sí is a female spirit. This noun is feminine.
Meaning: in Irish folklore, a female spirit (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term bean sí literally means 'woman of the fairy' or 'woman of the sidhe'.
How do you pronounce it?
/bʲanˠ ʃiː/
Did you know?
- The term sí is a doublet of síth, which means 'peace'. This suggests a linguistic link between the dwelling of the fairies and a state of tranquility.
- In traditional Irish folklore, a bean sí is not just a random ghost but is often tied to specific families, appearing only to warn the descendants of ancient Gaelic lineages of an impending death.
- The phrase bean sí describes a specific type of 'fairy', as the sí were not the tiny winged creatures of Victorian tales but powerful, humanoid beings who lived in mounds.
Example sentences for Irish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Two people are sitting by a campfire in the countryside.
- NiamhAn chuala tú an bean sí?Did you hear the banshee?
- CianNí chuala mé aon rud.I didn't hear anything.
- NiamhBhí an bean sí ansin.The banshee was there.
- CianTá tú ag magadh liom!You are joking with me!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banshee” translations and entries bean sí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bean, bean sí, sí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
