bean chéile
feminine
The Irish word for wife is bean chéile. Wiktionary also lists bean.
Meaning: female partner in a marriage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bean chéile | feminine | |
| bean | /bʲan̪ˠ/ (Munster) /bʲænˠ/ (Galway) |
feminine |
The term bean chéile refers to a female partner in a marriage.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bean chéile is composed of bean (woman) and céile (partner or companion).
Which one should you use?
While bean on its own simply means woman, bean chéile is the specific term used to mean wife.
Did you know?
- Historically, the legal status of a bean chéile in early Brehon Law provided women with more rights regarding property and divorce than their contemporaries in other parts of Europe.
- While bean means 'woman', it can also be the root for the verb meaning 'to strike' or 'to beat'.
- In Irish, the word céile is gender-neutral and can refer to a male or female partner.
Examples in context
- Tá mé pósta le mo bhean chéile.I am married to my wife.
Example conversation
Oisín introduces Aoife to a friend.
- OisínSeo mo bean chéile, Aoife.This is my wife, Aoife.
- AoifeDia duit, a Aoife!Hello, Aoife!
- OisínIs í an bean chéile is fearr.She is the best wife.
- AoifeTá mé sáor go bhfuil sibh anseo.I am glad you are both here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wife” translations and entries bean chéile, bean, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bean, CC BY-SA 4.0.
