mé
/mʲeː/
The Irish word for 'I' is mé. Wiktionary also lists mise.
Meaning: personal pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| mé | /mʲeː/ (Connacht, Munster) /mʲə/ (Ulster, unstressed) |
| mise | /ˈmʲiʃə/ (Connacht, Munster) /ˈmʲɨʃə/ (Ulster) |
In specific contexts, such as when identifying oneself emphatically in a sentence like 'Sin é mise' (That is me/I), the form mise is used.
Which one should you use?
Use mise when you want to emphasize 'I' or when you are contrasting yourself with someone else.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/mʲeː/
Did you know?
- In Irish, you do not need a word for 'I' when using certain verbs because the verb ending alone tells the listener you are talking about yourself.
- In Irish, the pronoun mé is used as both the subject and the object of a sentence, meaning it translates to both 'I' and 'me'.
- The emphatic mise is frequently used in a social 'roll call' context to announce one's presence or identity to a group.
Examples in context
- Dh'aimsigh mé é ina luí ar an leaba.I found him lying on the bed.This sentence shows the use of mé in a past tense context.Tatoeba #7290700 by anrialach, translation #283283 by CK
- lig mé air go raibh tinneas nímneach orm.I pretended I had pneumonia.This sentence demonstrates using mé to express a pretended state.Tatoeba #11841359 by Tatoebauser, translation #12480139 by reubsboyd
- Tá mé tinn.I am sick.This sentence uses mé with the verb 'to be' to describe a current state.Tatoeba #5015864 by cailleachnangadhair, translation #436427 by lukaszpp
- Tá mé go maithI am doing well.
- Tá mé féinse sástaI am happy myself.
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Cian and Saoirse are deciding who will go to the store.
- CianÓlfaidh mé an cupán tae seo.I will drink this cup of tea.
- SaoirseAn féidir leat dul go siopa ansin?Can you go to the shop then?
- CianTá mé ró-thruaite anois.I am too tired now.
- SaoirseGo raibh maith agat, fan ansin.Thank you, stay there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I” translations and entries mé, mise, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
