gardaí
[ɡɑːɾˠˈd̪ˠiː]
gardaí is the Irish word for the police.
gardaí refers to the local or general law enforcement agency. When referring to the official name of the Irish police force, the term used is An Garda Síochána, which translates to The Guardians of the Peace.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The singular form garda comes from a word meaning a guard or watcher.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain parts of Munster, the term cótaí dubha, which translates to black coats, is used to refer to the police.
How does it change in a sentence?
While gardaí is the plural form used for the police, the singular form is garda, used to refer to a single police officer or policeman.
Did you know?
- The word garda is a loanword from the Old French word 'garde', showing the influence of Norman French on the Irish language.
- The concept of 'the peace' in An Garda Síochána reflects a historical emphasis on civil peacekeeping rather than just military-style enforcement.
- The word garda is used as a title for the officer, similar to how an English speaker might use 'Officer' or 'Sergeant'.
Examples in context
- Chonaic mé an gardaI saw the police
- An bhfuil na gardaí ann?Are the police there?
- An bhfuil na gardaí anseo?Are the gardaí here?
- Chonaic mé na gardaí ar an mbóthar.I saw the gardaí on the road.
Example conversation
Conor and Saoirse are talking about a car accident on the street.
- ConorChonaic mé gáire aniar anseo.I saw a car crash here.
- SaoirseAn bhfuil na gardaí ag teacht?Are the police coming?
- ConorTá an gardaí anseo cheana féin.The police are already here.
- SaoirseGo hiontach, tá siad ag cabhrú.Great, they are helping.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gardaí, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
