HeyRuaHow to say “poteen” in Irish
- Irish:
- poitín
- English:
- poteen
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, fourth declension
- Pronunciation:
- “puh-TCHEEN” /pˠɔˈtʲiːnʲ/
Various forms
- Genitive singular:
- poitín, an phoitín (e.g. buidéal poitín, a bottle of poteen)
What does “poitín” mean?
- poteen
- Illicit Irish spirit traditionally distilled at home from potatoes, grain or sugar, usually in a small still.Also: poitin, moonshine, illicit whiskey, home-distilled spirit.
“Poitín” with the article
Here is poitín after the article (an t-alt).
an poitín
the poteen
No change after an
“Poitín” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using poitín, the Irish word for poteen.
Bhíodh poitín á dhéanamh sna sléibhte fadó.
Poteen used to be made in the mountains long ago.
Tá an poitín sin an-láidir ar fad.
That poteen is extremely strong.
Fuair na gardaí stil poitín sa phortach.
The guards found a poteen still in the bog.
Thug m'uncail braon poitín dom don slaghdán.
My uncle gave me a drop of poteen for the cold.
Ní raibh cead poitín a dhíol ag an am.
Selling poteen wasn't allowed at the time.
Is iomaí scéal atá ann faoin bpoitín.
There are many stories about poteen.
Chuimil sí poitín ar chos an chapaill.
She rubbed poteen on the horse's leg.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Poteen in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for poteen?
The Irish for poteen is poitín (pronounced “puh-TCHEEN”). It’s a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce poitín in Irish?
Poitín is said like “puh-TCHEEN” (IPA /pˠɔˈtʲiːnʲ/).
Does poitín have a plural?
No plural form is given for poitín in the standard. Many abstract and mass nouns in Irish have no plural.
Why does poitín change to phoitín or bpoitín?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) poitín becomes mo phoitín (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár bpoitín (eclipsis).
Where does the word 'poitín' come from?
'Poitín' is a diminutive of 'pota' (pot), meaning 'little pot', referring to the small pot still used to distil it. English borrowed it as 'poteen'.
