francach
/ˈfˠɾˠɑuŋkəx/masculine
The English word 'rat' is translated into Irish as francach. Wiktionary also lists francach dubh and luch francach.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| francach | /ˈfˠɾˠɑuŋkəx/ (Munster) /ˈfˠɾˠæŋkəx/ (Aran) |
masculine |
| francach dubh | /ˈfˠɾˠɑuŋkəx d̪ˠuvˠ/ (Munster, word by word) | masculine |
| luch francach | /l̪ˠux ˈfˠɾˠɑuŋkəx/ (Munster, word by word) | masculine |
| luchóg mhor | feminine |
The term refers to the rodent.
Which one should you use?
You may also encounter francach dubh, luch francach or luchóg mhor.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The term francach is a masculine noun. The phrase luchóg mhor is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfˠɾˠɑuŋkəx/
Did you know?
- The Irish word for rat francach literally means 'French mouse'.
- The term luchóg mhor translates literally to 'big little mouse', combining a diminutive noun with an adjective for 'large'.
- If you are using a computer mouse in Ireland, you might see the word luchóg, which is the diminutive form of 'mouse' in Irish.
Examples in context
- Chonaic mé rata in aice leis an mbruscar.I saw a rat near the dumpster.
Example conversation
Cian and Niamh are in the kitchen looking at the floor.
- CianAn bhfeiceann tú an francach?Do you see the rat?
- NiamhNíl an francach anseo.The rat is not here.
- CianTá eagla orm faoin francach.I am afraid of the rat.
- NiamhNá bí buartha, a Chian.Don't worry, Cian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries francach, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (francach, dubh, luch) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dubh, francach, luch, luchóg, CC BY-SA 4.0.
