taibhse
/ˈt̪ˠɑiʃə/feminine
The English word ghost is translated into Irish as taibhse or sprid.
Meaning: spirit appearing after death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| taibhse | /ˈt̪ˠɑiʃə/ (Munster) /ˈt̪ˠəiʃɪ/ (Munster) |
feminine |
| sprid | feminine |
Both words refer to a spirit after death, but they are used in different contexts depending on whether the spirit is a physical presence or an abstract concept.
Which one should you use?
taibhse specifically refers to a visible apparition or a ghost that one can see, whereas sprid refers to a more abstract spirit or essence.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both taibhse and sprid are feminine nouns. When using the definite article for taibhse, you use an taibhse (the ghost), but in the genitive case, such as when saying 'of the ghost', it becomes na taibhsí.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈt̪ˠɑiʃə/
Did you know?
- The word sprid is a linguistic sibling to the English word 'spirit' but entered Irish through Old French rather than directly from Latin.
- In Irish folklore, a ghost is often distinct from the Sídhe, who are supernatural beings from the mounds that are not necessarily deceased humans.
- The term sprid refers to the internal essence of a person, similar to how the word 'soul' is used in English religious contexts.
Examples in context
- An bhfuil taibhse sa seomra seo?Is there a ghost in this room?
Example conversation
Cathal and Siobhán are walking past an old castle.
- CathalAn gcreideann tú i dtaibhse, a Siobhán?Do you believe in ghosts, Siobhán?
- SiobhánNí creidim, ach tá an áit seo eaglaíach.I don't believe, but this place is scary.
- CathalTugann an taibhse seo fearg chugam.This ghost gives me fear.
- SiobhánNá bí ag cur eagla orm, a Chathail!Don't scare me, Cathal!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghost” translations and entries taibhse, sprid, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sprid, taibhse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
