meán oíche
/mʲɑːnˠ ˈiːhə/feminine
The Irish word for midnight is meán oíche.
meán oíche is used to denote 12 o'clock at night exactly.
Meaning: 12 o'clock at night exactly (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of meán (middle) and oíche (night).
How do you pronounce it?
/mʲɑːnˠ ˈiːhə/
Did you know?
- In Irish folklore, meán oíche is often regarded as a 'thin' time when the veil between the physical world and the Otherworld is most permeable.
- The component oíche might be related to the Sanskrit word 'andha', meaning 'blind', suggesting an ancient connection between 'night' and 'blindness'.
- The word meán is used in other Irish time expressions, such as meán den lá for 'midday', mirroring the structure of 'midnight'.
Examples in context
- Fanfaidh mé istigh sa chlub go dtí go mbeidh sé i lár na hoíche.I'll stay inside the club until it's midnight.
- Caithfimid fanacht go dtí go mbeidh an meán oíche ann chun an ceol a cheiliúradh.We need to wait until midnight to celebrate the music.
- Tá an scannán ag tosnú i lár na hoíche, is maith liom é sin.The movie starts in the middle of the night, I like that.
- Bhí sé meán oíche ansin.It was midnight there.
- D'éirigh mé ag meán oíche.I got up at midnight.
Example conversation
Aoife and Cian are discussing a deadline for a project.
- AoifeNuair a théigeann an deadline, Cian?When does the deadline pass, Cian?
- CianTá sé ag meán oíche anocht.It is at midnight tonight.
- AoifeAn bhfuil go leor ama againn?Do we have enough time?
- CianTá, tá cúig uair an uair anois.Yes, it is five o'clock now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “midnight” translations and entries meán oíche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries meán, oíche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
