císte
/ˈciːʃtʲə/masculine
The Irish word for cake is císte. Wiktionary also lists cáca milis.
Meaning: type of sweet dessert (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| císte | /ˈciːʃtʲə/ | masculine |
| cáca milis | /ˈkɑːkə ˈmʲilʲəʃ/ (word by word) | masculine |
The term is used to describe a type of sweet dessert. You may also encounter cáca milis or cáca.
Which one should you use?
The word cáca can be used on its own to mean cake, often in the context of a sponge cake or a small cake. The form cásóg means cupcake.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both císte and cáca milis are masculine nouns. Note that the related verb calc means to dry out and become hard.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈciːʃtʲə/
Did you know?
- The word cáca descends from the Old Norse word kaka, reflecting the deep historical influence of Viking settlers in Ireland.
- The term cáca milis is a literal translation of 'sweet cake', used to distinguish it from savory breads.
- The term cásóg for 'cupcake' uses the diminutive suffix -óg, which is frequently used in Irish to express smallness or affection.
Examples in context
- D'ith mé an cácaI ate the cake
Example conversation
Oisín and Siobhán are in the kitchen.
- OisínAn bhfuil císte sa chistin, a Siobhán?Is there a cake in the kitchen, Siobhán?
- SiobhánTá, tá císte mór ar an mbord.Yes, there is a big cake on the table.
- OisínAn féidir liom píosa a bheith ag an císte?Can I have a piece of the cake?
- SiobhánGo hiontach, Oisín, glac an císte.Wonderful, Oisín, take the cake.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cake” translations and entries císte, cáca milis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cáca, milis) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cáca, cáca milis, císte, milis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
