leanbh
/ˈlʲan̪ˠəvˠ/
The Irish word for child is leanbh.
leanbh refers to a son, a daughter or someone's child.
Meaning: son or daughter, someone's child (noun)
Which one should you use?
While leanbh is a standard way to say child, páiste is another very common word used to refer to a child in a more general sense. For an endearing, informal way to say little one, you can use Péistín.
How does it change in a sentence?
leanbh is a masculine noun. When using the definite article, you use an leanbh to mean 'the child'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlʲan̪ˠəvˠ/
Did you know?
- In traditional Irish folklore, children were sometimes referred to using terms that implied they were 'of the fairies' to protect them from evil spirits.
- If you want to be particularly affectionate, you might call a little one Péistín, though this is an informal and endearing term.
- The word leanbh evolved from the Old Irish word lenab, which specifically referred to an 'infant'.
Examples in context
- Tá mé ag tabhairt bia don leanbhI am feeding the child
- Conas atá an péistín beag?How is the little one?
- An bhfuil an buachaill sin ag spraoi?Is that boy having fun?
- Tá an leanbh anseo.The child is here.
Example conversation
Cian and Niamh are talking about a new baby.
- CianAn bhfuil an leanbh sona?Is the child happy?
- NiamhTá, tá sé an-sona.Yes, he is very happy.
- CianIs leanbh álainn é.He is a beautiful child.
- NiamhGo raibh maith agat, a Chian.Thank you, Cian.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry leanbh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries leanbh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
