HeyRuaHow to say “festival” in Irish
- Irish:
- feis
- English:
- festival, convention, intercourse
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- feminine, second declension
- Pronunciation:
- “fesh” /fʲɛʃ/
- Plural:
- feiseanna (festivals)
- Genitive singular:
- feise, na feise (e.g. lá na feise, the day of the feis)
- Genitive plural:
- feiseanna, na bhfeiseanna (e.g. séasúr na bhfeiseanna, the season of the feiseanna)
What does “feis” mean?
“Feis” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- festival
- A festival, especially an Irish cultural festival with competitions in music, dancing, singing and language.Also: feis, Irish dancing competition, cultural festival.
2 other meanings: convention or intercourse
- 2convention
- A large assembly or gathering, now mainly in compounds such as 'ardfheis', the annual convention of a political party.Also: assembly, gathering.
- 3intercourse
- In older literature, sleeping together or sexual intercourse, and by extension espousal of a ruler to the land.Also: sexual intercourse, espousal, sleeping together.
Other Irish words for festival: féile (festival), carnabhal (carnival)
“Feis” with the article
The plural of festival in Irish is feiseanna. Here is feis after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Feis” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using feis, the Irish word for festival.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Festival in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for festival?
The Irish for festival is feis (pronounced “fesh”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is feiseanna. Depending on context it can also mean convention or intercourse.
How do you pronounce feis in Irish?
Feis is said like “fesh” (IPA /fʲɛʃ/).
What is the plural of festival in Irish?
The plural of feis is feiseanna; with the article, na feiseanna means “the festivals”. The genitive plural is feiseanna, as in séasúr na bhfeiseanna (the season of the feiseanna).
Does feis have more than one meaning?
Yes. Feis can mean festival, convention or intercourse, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why does feis change to fheis or bhfeis?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) feis becomes m'fheis (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár bhfeis (eclipsis).
What is the difference between 'feis' and 'féile'?
'Feis' is usually a competitive Irish cultural festival, especially for dancing and music, while 'féile' is a general word for a festival or feast day, as in 'Féile Pádraig'.
What does 'ardfheis' mean?
'Ardfheis' is the annual national conference of a political party, built from 'ard' (high) and 'feis'.
