droichead
/ˈd̪ˠɾˠɞhəd̪ˠ/masculine
The Irish word for bridge is droichead.
droichead is a masculine noun used to describe a construction or a natural feature that spans a divide.
Meaning: construction or natural feature that spans a divide (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "the bridge" in the singular, use an droichead. The plural form, meaning "the bridges", is na droigheacha.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈd̪ˠɾˠɞhəd̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- In Irish folklore, bridges are often seen as 'liminal spaces' or thresholds between the human world and the Otherworld.
- The word droichead is built from two very strange components: 'droch', meaning 'wheel', and 'sét', meaning 'path'.
- The phonetic pronunciation of droichead includes a 'dental' stop, a sound produced by touching the tongue to the upper teeth, which is distinct from the English 'd'.
Examples in context
- Tá droichead álainn ann.There is a beautiful bridge there.
- Tá droichead anseo.There is a bridge here.
Example conversation
Cian and Saoirse are walking toward a river.
- CianAn bhfuil droichead anseo, a Saoirse?Is there a bridge here, Saoirse?
- SaoirseTá, tá sé díreach romhat.Yes, it is straight in front of you.
- CianIs droichead sean é.It is an old bridge.
- SaoirseTá sé go hálainn.It is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bridge” translations and entries droichead, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries droichead, CC BY-SA 4.0.
