HeyRuaHow to say “whiskey” in Irish
- Irish:
- uisce beatha
- English:
- whiskey
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, fourth declension
- Pronunciation:
- “ISH-keh BA-ha” /ˈɪʃcə ˈbʲahə/
- Plural:
- uiscí beatha (whiskeys)
- Genitive singular:
- uisce beatha, an uisce beatha (e.g. buidéal uisce beatha, a bottle of whiskey)
- Genitive plural:
- uiscí beatha, na n-uiscí beatha (e.g. praghas na n-uiscí beatha, the price of the whiskeys)
What does “uisce beatha” mean?
- whiskey
- Whiskey. Literally water of life, from uisce (water) and beatha (of life); the English word whiskey comes from it. Fuisce, borrowed back from English, is also common.Also: whisky, water of life.
Other Irish words for whiskey: fuisce (whiskey)
“Uisce beatha” with the article
The plural of whiskey in Irish is uiscí beatha. Here is uisce beatha after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Uisce beatha” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using uisce beatha, the Irish word for whiskey.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Whiskey in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for whiskey?
The Irish for whiskey is uisce beatha (pronounced “ISH-keh BA-ha”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is uiscí beatha.
How do you pronounce uisce beatha in Irish?
Uisce beatha is said like “ISH-keh BA-ha” (IPA /ˈɪʃcə ˈbʲahə/).
What is the plural of whiskey in Irish?
The plural of uisce beatha is uiscí beatha; with the article, na huiscí beatha means “the whiskeys”. The genitive plural is uiscí beatha, as in praghas na n-uiscí beatha (the price of the whiskeys).
Why does uisce beatha sometimes have a t or h in front of it?
Irish nouns beginning with a vowel take a prefix after certain words: an t-uisce beatha (the whiskey), a huisce beatha (her whiskey), a n-uisce beatha (their whiskey), na huiscí beatha (the whiskeys).
Is it uisce beatha or fuisce?
Both. Uisce beatha is the traditional Irish word, literally water of life, and the one dictionaries give first. Fuisce is the English word borrowed back into Irish and is common in speech: gloine fuisce, a glass of whiskey.
What does uisce beatha mean literally?
Water of life: uisce is water and beatha is the genitive of beatha, life. The English word whiskey is an anglicised form of uisce beatha.
How do you say the whiskey in Irish?
An t-uisce beatha. Uisce beatha is masculine and starts with a vowel, so the article adds t-: an t-uisce beatha. In the genitive it is an uisce beatha: blas an uisce beatha, the taste of the whiskey.
