Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Irisch | neuter | |
| Irisch-Gälisch | /ˌiːʁɪʃˈɡɛːlɪʃ/ /-ˈɡeːlɪʃ/ |
neuter |
| Gälisch | neuter |
The terms Irisch, Irisch-Gälisch and Gälisch are used to name the Irish language. To refer to a person from Ireland, you can use Der Ire for an Irishman, Die Irin for an Irishwoman, Die Person aus Irland for the person from Ireland or Die irische Person for the Irish person. The adjective irisch refers to the language or the culture, whereas irländisch is more commonly used to describe people or things originating from the country of Ireland.
Which one should you use?
The neuter nouns Irisch, Irisch-Gälisch and Gälisch specifically name the language.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms Irisch, Irisch-Gälisch and Gälisch are neuter nouns. The related adjective irisch is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence or is part of a proper name.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly capitalize the adjective irisch. In German, unlike English, adjectives are not capitalized unless they are at the start of a sentence or part of a proper name.
Did you know?
- The term Gälisch is a linguistic 'double agent' in German, as it can refer to both the Irish language and its closely related sister, Scottish Gaelic.
- The suffix '-isch' in irisch is a common way to turn a noun into an adjective, much like the English '-ish' in 'Irish'.
- The word Irisch functions as a neuter noun, meaning you would say das Irische when referring to 'the Irish language' in certain grammatical contexts.
Examples in context
- Ich will Irisch lernen.I want to learn Irish.This sentence shows how to express the desire to learn the language using Irisch.Tatoeba #5299636 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2505267 by _undertoad
- Ich spreche kein Irisch.I don't speak Irish.This sentence demonstrates how to state that one does not speak the language using Irisch.Tatoeba #3839455 by Esperantostern, translation #2714079 by CN
- Das ist ein irischer Name.It's an Irish name.This sentence illustrates the use of the adjective 'irischer' related to Irisch to describe a name.Tatoeba #8257716 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5927073 by mailohilohi
- Die Irin, die ich getroffen habe, war sehr freundlich.The Irishwoman I met was very friendly.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are discussing their favorite languages.
- LukasSarah, findest du Irisch schön?Sarah, do you think Irish is beautiful?
- SarahJa, Irisch klingt sehr melodisch.Yes, Irish sounds very melodic.
- LukasIst Irisch schwer zu lernen?Is Irish hard to learn?
- SarahIch glaube, Irisch ist ziemlich schwierig.I think Irish is quite difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “irish” translations and entries Irisch, Irisch-Gälisch, Gälisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries irisch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
