cainteach
/ˈkainʲtʲəx/
The English adjective 'chatty' can be translated into Irish as cainteach. Wiktionary also lists briosc-chainteach and brioscghlórach.
Meaning: chatting a lot or fond of chatting (adj)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| cainteach | /ˈkainʲtʲəx/ (Munster) |
| briosc-chainteach | |
| brioscghlórach | /ˈbʲɾʲiʃcˌɣlˠɔːɾˠa(x)/ (Ulster) |
| canmhar |
The word is used to describe someone who is chatting a lot or fond of chatting.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective cainteach is derived from caint, which means 'speech' or 'talk'.
Which one should you use?
While cainteach implies a fondness for talking, brioscghlórach implies a loud, boisterous or noisy manner.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective cainteach remains the same in both the masculine and feminine singular forms.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkainʲtʲəx/
Did you know?
- In Irish folklore and storytelling, being cainteach was often seen as a vital skill for the 'seanchaí' or traditional storyteller to keep an audience engaged.
- While cainteach is a general term, canmhar is often used to describe someone who is 'full of talk', sometimes with a nuance of being boastful.
- The suffix '-ach' in cainteach is a common way in Irish to turn a noun into an adjective, much like the English suffix '-y' in 'chatty'.
Examples in context
- Tá an bean taitneamhach agus cainteach.The woman is pleasant and chatty.
Example conversation
Cian and Siobhán are talking about a new colleague.
- CianAn bhfuil an comhghleาสcár nua cainteach?Is the new colleague chatty?
- SiobhánTá, tá sí an-chainteach!Yes, she is very chatty!
- CianAn bhfuil sí ag caint go leanúnach?Is she talking constantly?
- SiobhánTá, ní stopann sí riamh.Yes, she never stops.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chatty” translations and entries cainteach, brioscghlórach, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
