rí
/ɾˠiː/masculine
The Irish word for king is rí.
rí is a noun used to refer to a male member of a royal family who serves as the supreme ruler of a nation.
Meaning: a male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his nation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
rí is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɾˠiː/
Did you know?
- The word rí shares a common ancient ancestor with the English word 'rich'. Both derive from a Proto-Indo-European root referring to power and rule.
- Historically, a rí could be inaugurated in a ceremony involving a white stone, symbolizing the marriage between the ruler and the land.
- Unlike many European monarchies, an ancient Irish rí was often elected by a council of nobles rather than inheriting the throne solely by birth.
Examples in context
- An t-ardríThe High King
- Bhí an rí láidir.The king was strong.
Example conversation
Conor and Aoife are visiting a museum.
- ConorCé an rí seo?Who is this king?
- AoifeIs é an rí é sa phictiúr.He is the king in the picture.
- ConorAn raibh an rí kindness?Was the king kind?
- AoifeBa rí gocrmaí é.He was a cruel king.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “king” translations and entries rí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
