HeyRuaHow to say “cheese” in Irish
- Irish:
- cáis
- English:
- cheese
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- feminine, second declension
- Pronunciation:
- “kawsh” /kɑːʃ/
- Plural:
- cáiseanna (cheeses)
- Genitive singular:
- cáise, na cáise (e.g. blas na cáise, the taste of the cheese)
- Genitive plural:
- cáiseanna, na gcáiseanna (e.g. díoltóir na gcáiseanna, the seller of the cheeses)
What does “cáis” mean?
- cheese
- A solid food made from pressed milk curds.Also: cheddar, curd cheese.
“Cáis” with the article
The plural of cheese in Irish is cáiseanna. Here is cáis after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Cáis” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using cáis, the Irish word for cheese.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Cheese in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for cheese?
The Irish for cheese is cáis (pronounced “kawsh”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is cáiseanna.
How do you pronounce cáis in Irish?
Cáis is said like “kawsh” (IPA /kɑːʃ/).
What is the plural of cheese in Irish?
The plural of cáis is cáiseanna; with the article, na cáiseanna means “the cheeses”. The genitive plural is cáiseanna, as in díoltóir na gcáiseanna (the seller of the cheeses).
Why does cáis change to cháis or gcáis?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) cáis becomes mo cháis (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár gcáis (eclipsis).
Why is it 'an cháis' with a h?
Cáis is feminine, so it is lenited after the article: an cháis, 'the cheese'. In the genitive it is na cáise, as in píosa cáise, 'a piece of cheese'.
