gleoite
/ˈɟlʲoːtʲə/
The Irish word for cute is gleoite. Wiktionary also lists álainn.
Meaning: attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way (adj)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| gleoite | /ˈɟlʲoːtʲə/ |
| álainn | /ˈɑːl̪ˠɪɲ/ (Cork, Waterford) /ˈɑːl̪ˠənʲ/ (Kerry) |
The adjective gleoite is used to describe something as attractive or pleasing in a way that is youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited.
Which one should you use?
While gleoite means cute, álainn is a stronger, more formal word that means beautiful or lovely.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective gleoite is invariant in gender, so it remains the same whether you are describing a masculine or a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɟlʲoːtʲə/
Did you know?
- While gleoite is used for cuteness, Irish has a separate way to describe someone as 'cute' when they are being sly or mischievous, which is entirely different from being visually attractive.
- The word álainn descends from the Old Irish álaind, which originally meant 'fine' or 'noble' in quality.
- When calling a child 'cute', an Irish speaker might use gleoite but often follows it with a diminutive suffix on the child's name to double the sweetness.
Example sentences for Irish are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Siobhán and Cian are looking at a baby's photo.
- SiobhánSeo pictiúr den bhaby. Is gleoite é!This is a picture of the baby. He is cute!
- CianTá sé an-gleoite go araidh.He is very cute indeed.
- SiobhánTá a chúlaí gleoite chomh maith.His curls are cute as well.
- CianTá sé cosúil leat, a Siobhán.He looks like you, Siobhán.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cute” translations and entries gleoite, álainn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries álainn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
