HeyRuaHow to say “age” in Irish
- Irish:
- aois
- English:
- age, old age, era, century
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- feminine, second declension
- Pronunciation:
- “eesh” /iːʃ/
- Plural:
- aoiseanna (ages)
- Genitive singular:
- aoise, na haoise (e.g. teastas aoise, age certificate)
- Genitive plural:
- aoiseanna, na n-aoiseanna (e.g. stair na n-aoiseanna, the history of the ages)
What does “aois” mean?
“Aois” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- age
- How old a person, animal or thing is.Also: years, how old.
3 other meanings: old age or era or century
- 2old age
- The later part of life when a person is old.Also: advanced age, elderliness.
- 3era
- A long period of history marked by particular features.Also: age, period, epoch.
- 4century
- A period of a hundred years, as in 'an fichiú haois', the twentieth century.Also: hundred years.
Other Irish words for age: ré (era)
“Aois” with the article
The plural of age in Irish is aoiseanna. Here is aois after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Aois” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using aois, the Irish word for age.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Phrases with “aois”
Age in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for age?
The Irish for age is aois (pronounced “eesh”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is aoiseanna. Depending on context it can also mean old age or era or century.
How do you pronounce aois in Irish?
Aois is said like “eesh” (IPA /iːʃ/).
What is the plural of age in Irish?
The plural of aois is aoiseanna; with the article, na haoiseanna means “the ages”. The genitive plural is aoiseanna, as in stair na n-aoiseanna (the history of the ages).
Does aois have more than one meaning?
Yes. Aois can mean age, old age, era or century, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why does aois sometimes have a t or h in front of it?
Irish nouns beginning with a vowel take a prefix after certain words: an aois (the age), a haois (her age), a n-aois (their age), na haoiseanna (the ages).
How do I say how old someone is?
Use 'd'aois' after the number of years: 'Tá mé fiche bliain d'aois' means I am twenty years old. To ask, say 'Cén aois thú?'
How do I say which century something happened in?
Use 'aois' with an ordinal number: 'san fhichiú haois' means in the twentieth century, and 'sa naoú haois déag' means in the nineteenth century.
