ar meisce
The English word 'drunk' can be translated into Irish as ar meisce or ólta.
Meaning: intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol (adj)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| ar meisce | |
| ólta | /ˈoːl̪ˠt̪ˠə/ (Connacht, Munster) /ˈɔːl̪ˠt̪ˠə/ (Ulster) |
Both terms are used to describe someone who is intoxicated after consuming too much alcohol. You can also use related nouns like meisceoir, pótaire or druncaeir to refer to a habitual drinker.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ar meisce literally means 'on meisce' (on alcohol/intoxication).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun meisceoir is derived from the same root as the phrase ar meisce to mean a person who drinks alcohol.
Did you know?
- The word meisce shares a common ancestor with the English word 'mix'. It comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to mix' or 'confused'.
- The word ólta is the past participle of the verb 'to drink', meaning the state of being 'drunk' is linguistically framed as the act of having drunk.
Examples in context
- Bhí mé an-ólta aréir.I was very drunk last night.This sentence is useful for describing how drunk you were last night using ólta.
- Tá gach duine ar meisce.Everyone is drunk.This sentence is useful for stating that everyone is drunk using ar meisce.Tatoeba #4521052 by Gaeltacht, translation #3825044 by CK
- Tá trí cupán caife ólta agat.You've drunk three cups of coffee.This sentence shows the use of ólta in a different context, though the Irish sentence provided refers to coffee.Tatoeba #631405 by niq, translation #16723 by CK
- Roimh dheireadh na hoíche bhí siad ólta go maithBefore the end of the night, they were well-drunk
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aoife and Cathal are leaving a party.
- AoifeAn bhfuil an fear sin ar meisce?Is that man drunk?
- CathalTá, tá sé ag labhairt go hálainn.Yes, he is talking beautifully.
- AoifeNí féidir liom fanacht anseo.I can't stay here.
- CathalTá mé ar meisce freisin, Aoife.I am drunk too, Aoife.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drunk” translations and entries ar meisce, ólta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ar, meisce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
