aigéan
/aɟeːnˠ/masculine
The English word ocean is translated into Irish as aigéan. Wiktionary also lists oician and bóchna.
Meaning: one of the large bodies of water (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| aigéan | /aɟeːnˠ/ | masculine |
| oician | masculine | |
| bóchna | feminine | |
| farraige | /ˈfˠɑɾˠəɟə/ /ˈfˠæɾˠəɟə/ |
feminine |
| farraige mhór | feminine | |
| lear | /l̠ʲaɾˠ/ | masculine |
| mórmhuir | feminine |
These terms are used to refer to the large bodies of water known as oceans.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase farraige mhór literally means 'big sea'.
Which one should you use?
While aigéan refers to the ocean, farraige is the more common word used for the sea in everyday Irish. For a more poetic or formal description of the ocean's vastness, you can use mórmhuir, which is a compound of mór (big) and muir (sea).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the definite article 'the' with aigéan, the article becomes an because the word starts with a vowel, resulting in an aigéan.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɟeːnˠ/
Did you know?
- In ancient Irish law, the farraige was not just water but included the shoreline and the tidal zones used for fishing.
- The word aigéan is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'ocean', both tracing back to the Ancient Greek Ὠκεανός.
- In some traditional Irish songs, the muir is personified as a fickle or cruel entity rather than just a body of water.
Examples in context
- Tá an t-iasc dearg ag snámh san aigéan.The red fish is swimming in the ocean.This sentence shows how to use aigéan to describe something located within the ocean.Tatoeba #3945051 by turklehceleri, translation #3945049 by turklehceleri
- An bhfuil tú ag dul chuig an bhfarraige?Are you going to the ocean/sea?
- Tá an aigéan go deas inniu!The ocean is beautiful today!
- Tá an aigéan an-ghlan anseo.The ocean is very clean here.
Example conversation
Niamh and Cathal are looking at a map of the world.
- NiamhAn bhfuil an aigéan anseo?Is the ocean here?
- CathalTá, seo é an aigéan Pacific.Yes, this is the Pacific Ocean.
- NiamhTá sé go hiontach.It is wonderful.
- CathalIs é an t-aigéan go hiontach i ndáiríre.The ocean really is wonderful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ocean” translations and entries aigéan, farraige, farraige mhór, lear, mórmhuir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aigéan, farraige, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
