HeyRuaHow to say “dean” in Irish
- Irish:
- déan
- English:
- dean
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, first declension
- Pronunciation:
- “jayn” /dʲeːnˠ/
- Plural:
- déin (deans)
- Genitive singular:
- déin, an déin (e.g. teach an déin, the dean's house)
- Genitive plural:
- déan, na ndéan (e.g. cruinniú na ndéan, meeting of the deans)
What does “déan” mean?
- dean
- A senior clergyman who is head of the chapter of a cathedral, or the head of a faculty in a university.Also: cathedral dean, faculty dean, dean of faculty.
“Déan” with the article
The plural of dean in Irish is déin. Here is déan after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Déan” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using déan, the Irish word for dean.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Dean in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for dean?
The Irish for dean is déan (pronounced “jayn”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is déin.
How do you pronounce déan in Irish?
Déan is said like “jayn” (IPA /dʲeːnˠ/).
What is the plural of dean in Irish?
The plural of déan is déin; with the article, na déin means “the deans”. The genitive plural is déan, as in cruinniú na ndéan (meeting of the deans).
Does déan have more than one meaning?
Déan also has its own entry as a verb meaning to do.
Why does déan change to dhéan or ndéan?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) déan becomes mo dhéan (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár ndéan (eclipsis).
Is the noun 'déan' related to the verb 'déan' (do, make)?
No, they are separate words that happen to be spelled the same. The noun 'déan' (dean) comes from Latin decanus, while the verb 'déan' means 'do' or 'make', as in 'Déan deifir'.
