dorcha
/ˈd̪ˠɔɾˠəxə/
dorcha is the Irish word for dark.
dorcha is an adjective used to describe a state of having an absolute or relative lack of light.
Meaning: having an absolute or relative lack of light (adj)
Which one should you use?
The adjective dorcha describes the quality of being dark, while the noun dorchacht refers to the state or condition of darkness itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective dorcha is indeclinable, which means it does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈd̪ˠɔɾˠəxə/
Did you know?
- In Irish folklore, the 'dark' is often associated with the Sídhe, the supernatural people who inhabit mounds and other hidden realms.
- While dorcha describes a lack of light, the Irish word dubh is used for the color 'black'. Using dorcha to describe a black object would sound unnatural to a native speaker.
- Irish has separate words for 'dark' as in lack of light and 'dark' as in a deep complexion, often using donn meaning 'brown' for the latter.
Examples in context
- Tá an oíche dorcha.The night is dark.This sentence demonstrates the use of dorcha to describe the night.Tatoeba #2977209 by JimiYoru, translation #1956380 by Spamster
- Tá an seomra dorcha.The room is dark.This sentence shows how to use dorcha when describing a room.Tatoeba #3233354 by biber, translation #2002544 by bichodebola
- Chas sí air an lampa, mar bhí sé dorcha.She switched on the lamp because it was dark.This sentence uses dorcha to explain why a lamp was switched on.Tatoeba #4445001 by HedefTuran, translation #28461 by Swift
- Bhí an oíche dorcha go leor.The night was quite dark.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aoife and Oisín are walking home at night.
- AoifeAn bhfuil sé dorcha ansin?Is it dark over there?
- OisínTá, ní féidir liom an bealach a fheiceáil.Yes, I cannot see the way.
- AoifeCóisir an t-uisce, tá an t-áit dorcha anseo.Watch the water, the place is dark here.
- OisínGo raibh maith agat, Aoife.Thank you, Aoife.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dark” translations and entries dorcha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
