cailín
/kɑˈlʲiːnʲ/standard
The Irish word for "girl" is cailín. It is said roughly ka-LEEN in Munster and KAL-een in Connacht and Ulster. The plural is cailíní.
Meaning: girl (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cailín | /kɑˈlʲiːnʲ/ (Munster) /ˈkalʲiːnʲ/ (Connacht) |
standard |
| cailíní | plural |
Cailín can mean a little girl or a young woman. The phrase cailín beag means "little girl".
How does it change in a sentence?
Although it means a girl, cailín is a masculine noun in Irish. "The girl" is an cailín and "the girls" is na cailíní.
How do you pronounce it?
The í with the accent is a long ee sound. The Munster pronunciation puts the stress on the last syllable and the Connacht and Ulster pronunciations put it on the first.
When do people say it?
Irish English uses the word too, and the English word "colleen" comes from cailín.
Did you know?
- The English word "colleen" for an Irish girl comes from cailín.
- Cailín is a masculine noun even though it means a girl.
Examples in context
- Is cailín deas í.She is a nice girl.
- Tá an cailín ag léamh.The girl is reading.
- Tá na cailíní ag imirt sa pháirc.The girls are playing in the field.
Example conversation
Máire asks her friend Seán about a new girl in their class.
- MáireCé hí an cailín sin?Who is that girl?
- SeánSin Aoife. Is cailín nua sa rang í.That is Aoife. She is a new girl in the class.
- MáireAn bhfuil sí cairdiúil?Is she friendly?
- SeánTá, is cailín an-deas í.Yes, she is a very nice girl.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cailín, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of .
