Oak in Irish (Dair): Meaning, Pronunciation & Examples

Q: What is the Irish for oak?

The Irish for oak is dair (pronounced “dar”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is daracha. Depending on context it can also mean letter d in ogham.

Q: What is the plural of oak in Irish?

The plural of dair is daracha; with the article, na daracha means “the oaks”. The genitive plural is darach, as in coill na ndarach (the oak wood).

Q: Does dair have more than one meaning?

Yes. Dair can mean oak or letter d in ogham, depending on context; the first is the most common.

How to say “oak” in Irish

Irish:: dair
English:: oak, letter d in ogham
Word type:: noun
Gender:: feminine, fifth declension
Pronunciation:: “dar” /d̪ˠaɾʲ/

Various forms

Plural:: daracha (oaks)
Genitive singular:: darach, na darach (e.g. duilleog na darach, the oak leaf)
Genitive plural:: darach, na ndarach (e.g. coill na ndarach, the oak wood)

What does “dair” mean?

“Dair” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.

oak: A large tree with hard wood that produces acorns, or the wood of this tree.Also: oak tree, oak wood, oakwood.

1 other meaning: letter d in ogham

2letter d in ogham: The name of the letter D in the Ogham alphabet.Also: ogham d, letter d.

“Dair” with the article

The plural of oak in Irish is daracha. Here is dair after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.

an dair

the oak

No change: d and t are not lenited after an

na daracha

the oaks

Plural: no change after na

“Dair” in a sentence: Irish examples

Common Irish sentences using dair, the Irish word for oak.

Tá dair mhór ag fás sa pháirc.

A big oak is growing in the field.

Shuíomar faoin dair ag am lóin.

We sat under the oak at lunchtime.

Tá an bord seo déanta as adhmad darach.

This table is made of oak wood.

Bhí daracha arda ar gach taobh den bhóthar.

There were tall oaks on each side of the road.

Thit craobh den dair le linn na stoirme.

A branch fell off the oak during the storm.

Chuir mo sheanathair dair i lár an ghairdín.

My grandfather planted an oak in the middle of the garden.

Bhailigh na páistí dearcáin faoi na daracha.

The children gathered acorns under the oaks.

Other nouns in Irish

More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.

teangalanguage oíchenight lámhhand níthing láthairsite mímonth

Oak in Irish: frequently asked questions

What is the Irish for oak?

The Irish for oak is dair (pronounced “dar”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is daracha. Depending on context it can also mean letter d in ogham.

How do you pronounce dair in Irish?

Dair is said like “dar” (IPA /d̪ˠaɾʲ/).

What is the plural of oak in Irish?

The plural of dair is daracha; with the article, na daracha means “the oaks”. The genitive plural is darach, as in coill na ndarach (the oak wood).

Does dair have more than one meaning?

Yes. Dair can mean oak or letter d in ogham, depending on context; the first is the most common.

Why does dair change to dhair or ndair?

Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) dair becomes mo dhair (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár ndair (eclipsis).

Why do place names have 'Doire' rather than 'dair'?

'Doire' means an oak grove, as in Doire (Derry), while 'dair' is the oak tree itself. The genitive 'darach' also appears in names like Cill Dara (Kildare, church of the oak).

How do I say 'made of oak'?

Use the genitive as an adjective: 'adhmad darach' (oak wood) or 'bord darach' (an oak table).

Oak in Irish (Dair): Meaning, Pronunciation, Usage