ceol
/coːl̪ˠ/masculine
The Irish word for music is ceol.
ceol refers to sound organized in a melodious way. You can use it in several common phrases, such as ceol traidisiúnta for Irish traditional music, uirlisí ceoil for musical instruments or ceol a sheinm to mean playing music.
Meaning: sound, organized in time in a melodious way (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, ceol takes the definite article an ceol to mean 'the music'.
How do you pronounce it?
/coːl̪ˠ/
Did you know?
- The term ceol can be used in Irish idioms to describe much more than just melody, sometimes referring to the 'noise' or 'commotion' of a busy scene.
- Ancient Irish laws once categorized the types of ceol and the status of the musicians who performed them, assigning different legal ranks to different skill levels.
- The term ceol is closely linked to the concept of sean-nos, a highly ornamented style of singing where the 'music' is driven by the rhythm of the spoken word rather than a steady beat.
Examples in context
- Is fearr léi ceol ciúin.She prefers quiet music.This sentence shows how to express a preference for quiet music using ceol.Tatoeba #4606559 by Choctaw_Irish, translation #315384 by CK
- An bhfuil tú ag éisteacht le ceol?Are you listening to music?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is listening to music using ceol.Tatoeba #4001480 by turklehceleri, translation #4000305 by CK
- Is maith an ceol é.It is good music.
Example conversation
Niamh and Cian are talking about their hobbies.
- NiamhAn bhfuil tú ag foghlaim ceoil?Are you learning music?
- CianTá, tá mé ag súil an giotár a aistear.Yes, I hope to play the guitar.
- NiamhIs iontach é an ceol.Music is wonderful.
- CianTá tú ceart, a Niamh.You are right, Niamh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “music” translations and entries ceol, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
