HeyRuaHow to say “circus” in Irish
- Irish:
- sorcas
- English:
- circus
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, first declension
- Pronunciation:
- “SUR-kuss” /ˈsˠɔɾˠkəsˠ/
- Plural:
- sorcais (circuses)
- Genitive singular:
- sorcais, an tsorcais (e.g. puball an tsorcais, the circus tent)
- Genitive plural:
- sorcas, na sorcas (e.g. úinéirí na sorcas, the owners of the circuses)
What does “sorcas” mean?
- circus
- A travelling show with performers such as clowns, acrobats and sometimes animals, usually held in a big tent.Also: big top, travelling show.
“Sorcas” with the article
The plural of circus in Irish is sorcais. Here is sorcas after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Sorcas” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using sorcas, the Irish word for circus.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Circus in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for circus?
The Irish for circus is sorcas (pronounced “SUR-kuss”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is sorcais.
How do you pronounce sorcas in Irish?
Sorcas is said like “SUR-kuss” (IPA /ˈsˠɔɾˠkəsˠ/).
What is the plural of circus in Irish?
The plural of sorcas is sorcais; with the article, na sorcais means “the circuses”. The genitive plural is sorcas, as in úinéirí na sorcas (the owners of the circuses).
Why does sorcas change to shorcas?
After words like mo (my) and do (your) the first letter is lenited: mo shorcas. After ár (our) it stays ár sorcas, because s does not take eclipsis.
Can 'sorcas' be used figuratively like English 'circus' for a chaotic scene?
Yes, informally you may hear 'Ba sorcas ceart é' for a chaotic event, though 'círéib' or 'raic' are more traditional for uproar.
