How to Say "Where" in Irish - How To Say Guide

cá

/kɑː/

The English word "where" can be expressed in Irish using cá, cá háit or cén áit.

Meaning: at or in what place (adv)

Ways to say it

“where” in Irish
Irish	IPA
cá	/kɑː/ (Connacht, Munster) /ka/ (Ulster)
cá háit	[kaːˈhaːtʲ] (narrow)
cén áit	/cəˈn̪ˠaːtʲ/ (Ulster)

These forms are used as adverbs to ask about a location or at what place something or someone is situated.

The phrase cén áit literally translates to "which place".

cén áit specifically means "which place".

/kɑː/

In Old Irish, the ancestor of áit was áitt, which specifically denoted a 'position' or 'situation' rather than just a general area.
The pronunciation of cá can vary significantly depending on whether you are in the Gaeltacht of Munster or the north, changing the vowel sound entirely.
In some Irish dialects, the word for 'where' can shift depending on whether the speaker is asking about a general area or a specific point.

Cá cheannaigh an sú ananna seo?
Where did you buy this pineapple juice?
This sentence shows how to use cá to ask about the purchase location of an item.
Tatoeba #11841394 by Tatoebauser, translation #11158201 by Solana
Cá bhfuil Máire?
Where is Mary?
This sentence demonstrates using cá to ask about a person's location.
Tatoeba #3598685 by cailleachnangadhair, translation #1098723 by cntrational
Cá bhfuil an óstán?
Where is the hotel?
This sentence shows how to use cá to ask for the location of a building.
Tatoeba #2502581 by irish, translation #2499505 by CM
11 more sentences on Tatoeba

Siobhán and Oisín are looking for their keys.

Sources

Wiktionary, “where” translations and entries cá, cá háit, cén áit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries cén, áit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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