cócaire
/ˈkoːkəɾʲə/
The Irish word for chef is cócaire.
The word cócaire refers to a professional cook or a chef in an establishment such as a restaurant.
Meaning: head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of cócaire is cócairí.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkoːkəɾʲə/
Did you know?
- The term cócaire is an linguistic hybrid, as it actually stems from the Middle English word for 'cook' combined with the professional suffix '-aire'.
- The plural form cócairí shifts the stress of the word, a common feature in Irish that can be counterintuitive for English speakers used to consistent stress patterns.
- The prefix príomh in príomhchócaire is used across many Irish professions to denote a 'head' or 'lead' role, such as príomhoifigier for a chief officer.
Examples in context
- Is cócaire é sé.He is a chef.
- Ní cócaire é.He is not a chef.
Example conversation
Aoife asks Cian about a new person at the restaurant.
- CianAn bhfuil an cócaire anseo?Is the chef here?
- AoifeNíl, níl sé anseo.No, he is not here.
- CianAn bhfuil sé an cócaire nua?Is he the new chef?
- AoifeTá, is cócaire iontach é.Yes, he is a great chef.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cócaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cócaire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
