cailín
/kɑˈlʲiːnʲ/masculine
The Irish word for girl is cailín.
cailín is a masculine noun used to refer to a young female person.
Meaning: young female person (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/kɑˈlʲiːnʲ/
Did you know?
- The word 'caile' which is the root of cailín, is an archaic term for a maid or servant, showing how the word evolved from a social role to a general term for a young woman.
- The suffix -ín in cailín is a diminutive, which is used across the Irish language to make things sound smaller, cuter or more affectionate.
- The word cailín is often used as a term of endearment for a girlfriend or female partner, similar to 'girl' or 'gal' in English.
Examples in context
- Tá an cailín ag scríobh.The girl is writing.This sentence shows how to use cailín to describe an action in progress.Tatoeba #4521526 by Gaeltacht, translation #4079376 by muriloricci
- Tá an cailín beag ag gol.The little girl is crying.This sentence demonstrates using cailín with an adjective to describe a small girl.Tatoeba #10923969 by janTuki, translation #6387311 by CarpeLanam
- Is Éireannach í an cailín.The girl is Irish.This sentence shows how to use cailín when stating someone's nationality.Tatoeba #4521524 by Gaeltacht, translation #4079380 by muriloricci
- A Iníon, conas a bhfuil tú inniu?Miss, how are you today?
- Bhí an áit lán de na mná óga is de na cailíní.The place was full of young women and girls.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Siobhán and Oisín are talking about a new neighbor.
- SiobhánAn bhfuil cailín nua sa teach?Is there a new girl in the house?
- OisínTá, tá sí an-sócáir.Yes, she is very quiet.
- SiobhánCén aois atá leis an cailín?How old is the girl?
- OisínTá sí seacht mbliana bán.She is seven years old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries cailín, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cailín, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
