madra
/ˈmˠɑd̪ˠ(ə)ɾˠə/masculine
The English word dog is translated into Irish as madra. Wiktionary also lists gadhar and madadh.
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| madra | /ˈmˠɑd̪ˠ(ə)ɾˠə/ (Munster) /ˈmˠɑd̪ˠɾˠə/ (Connacht) |
masculine |
| gadhar | /ˈɡai(ə)ɾˠ/ (Connacht, Munster) /ˈɡəi(ə)ɾˠ/ (Connacht, Munster) |
masculine |
| madadh | /ˈmˠɑd̪ˠə/ (Galway) /ˈmˠad̪ˠuː/ (Mayo, Ulster) |
masculine |
The term refers to the animal (noun).
Which one should you use?
madra is the most common, standard word for dog, whereas madadh is often considered more literary or dialectal. gadhar is also a masculine form of the word.
Is it said differently in some regions?
madadh is specifically noted as being used in Connacht.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine. The plural form of madra is madraí.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmˠɑd̪ˠ(ə)ɾˠə/
Did you know?
- Ancient Irish law tracts, such as the Brehon Laws, assigned specific monetary values to different types of madra based on their utility.
- In Irish folklore, the madra often appears as a supernatural guardian or a shapeshifter in myths.
- The word gadhar is historically more specialized than madra, originally used specifically for a beagle or a hound used in hunting.
Examples in context
- An té a bhuailfeadh mo mhadra bhuailfeadh sé mé féin.Love me, love my dog.
- Tá madra ag Millie.Millie has a dog.Tatoeba #3899588 by turklehceleri, translation #3173672 by shekitten
- Tá madra aige.He has a dog.Tatoeba #3840872 by kemushi69, translation #288121 by CK
- Is maith liom do madra.I like your dog.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oisín and Niamh are walking in a park.
- OisínAn bhfuil madra agat, a Niamh?Do you have a dog, Niamh?
- NiamhNíl madra agam, ach ba mhaisín é.I don't have a dog, but I would like one.
- OisínSeo mo mhadra féin, tá sé an-geal.This is my own dog, he is very bright.
- NiamhIs madra go hálainn é!He is a beautiful dog!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dog” translations and entries madra, gadhar, madadh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
