HeyRuaHow to say “pope” in Irish
- Irish:
- pápa
- English:
- pope
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, fourth declension
- Pronunciation:
- “PAW-puh” /ˈpˠaːpˠə/
- Plural:
- pápaí (popes)
- Genitive singular:
- pápa, an phápa (e.g. cuairt an phápa, the pope's visit)
- Genitive plural:
- pápaí, na bpápaí (e.g. saol na bpápaí, the lives of the popes)
What does “pápa” mean?
- pope
- The head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Bishop of Rome.Also: pontiff, holy father, bishop of Rome.
“Pápa” with the article
The plural of pope in Irish is pápaí. Here is pápa after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Pápa” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using pápa, the Irish word for pope.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Pope in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for pope?
The Irish for pope is pápa (pronounced “PAW-puh”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is pápaí.
How do you pronounce pápa in Irish?
Pápa is said like “PAW-puh” (IPA /ˈpˠaːpˠə/).
What is the plural of pope in Irish?
The plural of pápa is pápaí; with the article, na pápaí means “the popes”. The genitive plural is pápaí, as in saol na bpápaí (the lives of the popes).
Why does pápa change to phápa or bpápa?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) pápa becomes mo phápa (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár bpápa (eclipsis).
Is 'pápa' capitalised in Irish?
When referring to a specific pope as a title, it is usually written an Pápa, as in English 'the Pope'; otherwise pápa is lowercase.
What is the Irish for 'papacy'?
The papacy is an phápacht, and the adjective 'papal' is pápúil, as in litir phápúil 'a papal letter'.
