dòchas
/ˈd̪̊ɔːxəs/masculine
The English word hope is expressed in Gaelic as dòchas.
dòchas is used to express the desire for something to happen with the expectation that it might occur.
Meaning: to want something to happen, with expectation that it might (verb)
Which one should you use?
While dòchas refers to the feeling of hope, dùil is often used to mean 'expectation' or 'anticipation' in the sense of expecting something to happen. Additionally, sùil, which literally means 'eye', is used idiomatically in certain contexts to mean 'hope' or 'expectation', similar to the English sense of 'keeping an eye out'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing hope about a future event, the phrase an dòchas is often followed by gum (a combination of gu and am) and the future tense of the verb, such as gum bi.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈd̪̊ɔːxəs/
Did you know?
- The word dòchas is a direct descendant of the Old Irish dóchus, maintaining its core meaning for over a thousand years.
- While 'hope' is a single concept in English, Gaelic uses dòchas for emotional longing and dùil for a calculated expectation.
- The word sùil literally means 'eye', but it can be used idiomatically to mean 'hope' or 'anticipation'.
Examples in context
- Tha mi an dòchas gum bi e math.I hope it will be good.This is useful for expressing a hope that a situation will be good using dòchas.Tatoeba #4195567 by User66640, translation #4195566 by User66640
- Tha mi an dòchas gum bi, oir tha am bion làn.I hope it'll come, because the trash can is full.This is useful for expressing a hope regarding something arriving using dòchas.Tatoeba #852101 by marloncori, translation #852102 by marloncori
- Tha mi an dòchas gu bheil an teaghlach agad gu dòigheal, a charaid.I hope that your family is fine, my friend.This is useful for expressing a hope for someone's well-being using dòchas.Tatoeba #852175 by marloncori, translation #852177 by marloncori
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Catriona and Angus are talking about the weather for a trip.
- CatrionaTha mi an dòchas gum bi grpc an t-am.I hope the weather will be sunny.
- AngusTha mi an dòchas sin cuideachd, a Chatriona.I hope that too, Catriona.
- CatrionaAn do dh'fhaigh thu an sgeulachd?Did you get the news?
- AngusCha do dh'fhaigh mi, ach tha mi an dòchas gu bheil e math.I didn't, but I hope it is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hope” translations and entries dòchas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dòchas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
