HeyRuaHow to say “sweet” in Irish
- Irish:
- milis
- English:
- sweet, sweet, pleasant, fresh
- Word type:
- adjective
- Sweeter:
- níos milse
- Sweetest:
- is milse
- Plural:
- milse
- Pronunciation:
- “MIL-ish” /ˈmʲilʲəʃ/
What does “milis” mean?
“Milis” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- sweet
- Having a taste like sugar or honey.Also: sugary, honeyed.
2 other meanings: sweet, pleasant or fresh
- 2sweet, pleasant
- Pleasant and gentle to hear or experience, like a sweet voice or sweet words.Also: sweet, pleasant, melodious, dulcet.
- 3fresh
- Fresh and not salted or sour, as in fresh water or fresh milk.Also: unsalted.
Other Irish adjectives for sweet: binn (sweet)
“Milis” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is milis after císte (cake, masculine), after deoch (drink, feminine) and after a plural.
séimhiú (the h) the ending
After a feminine noun the adjective gets a séimhiú, an h after its first letter: deoch mhilis. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: císte milis.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, milse. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: deochanna milse.
Sweeter, sweetest, very sweet
Tá an tae seo níos milse ná an tae sin. This tea is sweeter than that tea.
| sweeter | níos milse | in the past tense: ní ba mhilse |
|---|---|---|
| sweetest | is milse | in the past tense: ba mhilse |
| as sweet as | chomh milis le | no change after chomh |
| very sweet | an-mhilis | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too sweet | rómhilis | ró- lenites |
“Milis” in a sentence: Irish examples
With a masculine noun, a feminine noun, a plural, a comparison and on its own.
Other adjectives in Irish
More everyday Irish adjectives to learn next.
Sweet in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for sweet?
The Irish for sweet is milis (pronounced “MIL-ish”). It comes after the noun: císte milis, a sweet cake; deoch mhilis, a sweet drink.
How do you say sweeter and sweetest in Irish?
níos milse is sweeter and is milse is sweetest. In the past tense they become ní ba mhilse and ba mhilse.
Why does milis become mhilis?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So deoch mhilis (a sweet drink) but císte milis (a sweet cake), because císte is masculine.
What is the plural of milis?
With a plural noun milis becomes milse: cístí milse, deochanna milse.
How do you say very sweet in Irish?
an-mhilis. Too sweet is rómhilis, and as sweet as is chomh milis le.
Does milis have more than one meaning?
Yes. Milis can mean sweet, sweet, pleasant or fresh, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Does 'milis' only describe taste?
No, it can also mean fresh, as in 'uisce milis' (fresh water, not salt water) and 'bainne milis' (fresh milk).
What is the opposite of 'milis'?
For taste, the usual opposites are 'searbh' (bitter) and 'goirt' (salty), and 'géar' (sour).
