mac
/mˠak/masculine
The Irish word for "son" is mac.
The noun mac refers to a male person in relation to his parents.
Meaning: a male person in relation to his parents (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes from mac to mhac in the genitive case, which is used to show possession or a relationship, such as "the son of".
How do you pronounce it?
/mˠak/
Did you know?
- The word mac is the root of the common prefix 'Mac' in surnames like 'MacDonald', which literally translates to 'son of'.
- In ancient Celtic mythology, the deity Maponos is a divine figure of youth whose name is derived from the same root as mac.
- While mac means 'son', the word mac is also used in some dialects to refer to a 'lad' or 'young man' regardless of his relation to the speaker.
Examples in context
- Dónall óg donn Mac Lochlainnyoung, brown-haired Donald, son of the ScandinavianThis sentence shows how to use mac in a description of lineage.
- Cá bhfuil ár mac?Where's our son?This sentence shows how to ask about the location of mac.Tatoeba #11483313 by janTuki, translation #11483002 by shekitten
- Tá mac an bhean sin tinn.That's the woman whose son is sick.This sentence demonstrates the use of mac to describe a relationship.Tatoeba #2951279 by _Brighid_, translation #873525 by CM
- Maith thú, a mhic!Well done, my son!
- An bhfuil tú ag teacht linn, a mhic?Are you coming with us, son?
- Tar anseo, a leanbh.Come here, my son.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Niamh and Oisín are talking about their family.
- NiamhAn bhfuil mac agat, a Oisín?Do you have a son, Oisín?
- OisínTá, tá mac beag agam.Yes, I have a little son.
- NiamhCéi mhéad bliain atá in mac an fhir?How old is the man's son?
- OisínTá sé dhá bhliain anois.He is two years old now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “son” translations and entries mac, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
