lus na gréine
The Irish word for sunflower is lus na gréine.
Meaning: flower (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound construction where lus means plant, na is the genitive singular article and gréine is the genitive form of grian (sun).
Which one should you use?
While the word bláth means flower, the word lus (plant) is used in this specific construction to form the name of the species.
Did you know?
- In traditional Irish poetry, the sun grian is often personified as a goddess, making the phrase lus na gréine feel like the 'plant of the goddess'.
- The component lus has been used in the Irish language since the Old Irish period to refer to 'plants', 'herbs' or 'vegetables'.
- The word lus is quite versatile and can refer to anything from a simple weed to a medicinal herb depending on the context.
Examples in context
- Tá lus na gréine an-mhór.The sunflower is very big.
- An bhfuil lus na gréine sa ghairdín?Is there a sunflower in the garden?
Example conversation
Siobhán and Cathal are looking at a garden.
- Siobháncathal, féach ar an lus na gréine!Cathal, look at the sunflower!
- CathalTá sé an-ard, a Siobhán.It is very tall, Siobhán.
- SiobhánIs é an bláth is fearr liom é.It is my favorite flower.
- CathalTá sé go hálainn an láIt is beautiful today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunflower” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
