HeyRuaHow to say “eye” in Irish
- Irish:
- súil
- English:
- eye, expectation, look
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- feminine, second declension
- Pronunciation:
- “sool” /suːlʲ/
- Plural:
- súile (eyes)
- Genitive singular:
- súile, na súile (e.g. dath na súile, the colour of the eye)
- Genitive plural:
- súl, na súl (e.g. dath a súl, the colour of her eyes)
What does “súil” mean?
“Súil” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- eye
- The organ of the body that you see with.Also: eyes, eyesight.
2 other meanings: expectation or look
- 2expectation
- Hope or expectation that something will happen, used especially in the phrase 'ag súil le'.Also: hope, looking forward.
- 3look
- A look or glance at something.Also: glance, eye.
Other Irish words for eye: cró (eye)
“Súil” with the article
The plural of eye in Irish is súile. Here is súil after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Súil” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using súil, the Irish word for eye.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Eye in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for eye?
The Irish for eye is súil (pronounced “sool”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is súile. Depending on context it can also mean expectation or look.
How do you pronounce súil in Irish?
Súil is said like “sool” (IPA /suːlʲ/).
What is the plural of eye in Irish?
The plural of súil is súile; with the article, na súile means “the eyes”. The genitive plural is súl, as in dath a súl (the colour of her eyes).
Does súil have more than one meaning?
Yes. Súil can mean eye, expectation or look, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why does súil change to shúil?
After words like mo (my) and do (your) the first letter is lenited: mo shúil. After ár (our) it stays ár súil, because s does not take eclipsis.
How do I say 'I'm looking forward to it' in Irish?
Use 'ag súil le': 'Táim ag súil leis' means I'm looking forward to it or I'm expecting it.
What does 'i bhfaiteadh na súl' mean?
It means 'in the blink of an eye', using the genitive plural 'súl'.
