HeyRuaHow to say “coward” in Irish
- Irish:
- meatachán
- English:
- coward, weakling
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, first declension
- Pronunciation:
- “MAT-uh-khawn” /ˈmʲatˠəxaːnˠ/
- Plural:
- meatacháin (cowards)
- Genitive singular:
- meatacháin, an mheatacháin (e.g. iompar an mheatacháin, the coward's behaviour)
- Genitive plural:
- meatachán, na meatachán (e.g. slua na meatachán, the crowd of cowards)
What does “meatachán” mean?
“Meatachán” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- coward
- A person who lacks courage and avoids danger or difficulty.Also: craven, chicken, faint-heart.
1 other meaning: weakling
- 2weakling
- A person of weak character, or a degenerate, feeble person.Also: degenerate, wimp.
Other Irish words for coward: cladhaire (coward)
“Meatachán” with the article
The plural of coward in Irish is meatacháin. Here is meatachán after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Meatachán” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using meatachán, the Irish word for coward.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Coward in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for coward?
The Irish for coward is meatachán (pronounced “MAT-uh-khawn”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is meatacháin. Depending on context it can also mean weakling.
How do you pronounce meatachán in Irish?
Meatachán is said like “MAT-uh-khawn” (IPA /ˈmʲatˠəxaːnˠ/).
What is the plural of coward in Irish?
The plural of meatachán is meatacháin; with the article, na meatacháin means “the cowards”. The genitive plural is meatachán, as in slua na meatachán (the crowd of cowards).
Does meatachán have more than one meaning?
Yes. Meatachán can mean coward or weakling, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why does meatachán change to mheatachán?
After words like mo (my) and do (your) the first letter is lenited: mo mheatachán. After ár (our) it stays ár meatachán, because m does not take eclipsis.
What is the difference between meatachán and cladhaire?
Both mean coward; cladhaire is perhaps the more common everyday word, while meatachán also carries the idea of a weakling or degenerate, related to meath 'decay'.
