uisge
/ˈɯʃkʲə/masculine
The English word "water" is translated into Gaelic as uisge. Wiktionary also lists bùrn.
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| uisge | /ˈɯʃkʲə/ /ɯʃkʲ/ (Lewis) |
masculine |
| bùrn | /puːrˠn̪ˠ/ | masculine |
The term refers to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Which one should you use?
The word bùrn is also a masculine noun in Gaelic.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the definite article, the form appears as an uisge to mean "the water".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɯʃkʲə/
Did you know?
- The English word 'whisky' is an anglicized version of the Gaelic word uisge.
- The English word 'water' and the Gaelic word uisge are distant cousins, both tracing back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root *wed-.
- The word uisge can be used in various compound words to describe types of weather, such as rain or mist.
Examples in context
- Tha i ag òl an t-uisge.She is drinking the water.This sentence shows how to use uisge when describing someone drinking.Tatoeba #4001336 by turklehceleri, translation #4001334 by AlanF_US
- Cha robh an t-uisge blàth.The water was not warm.This sentence illustrates the use of uisge when describing the temperature of water.Tatoeba #9276389 by megamanenm, translation #9276391 by megamanenm
- Bha an làr fliuch le uisge.The floor was wet with water.This sentence demonstrates the use of uisge to describe something being wet with water.Tatoeba #851923 by marloncori, translation #851942 by marloncori
- Tá an t-uisce gorm.The water is blue.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Callum and Mairead are in the kitchen.
- CallumAn robh thu ag iarraidh uisge?Did you want water?
- MaireadTha, mas e do thoil e.Yes, please.
- CallumAn t-uisge seo tha glan.This water is clean.
- MaireadTapadh leat, a Callum.Thank you, Callum.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries uisge, bùrn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries uisge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
