HeyRuaHow to say “white” in Irish
- Irish:
- bán
- English:
- white, blank, fair-haired, uncultivated
- Word type:
- adjective
- Whiter:
- níos báine
- Whitest:
- is báine
- Plural:
- bána
- Pronunciation:
- “bawn” /bˠɑːnˠ/
What does “bán” mean?
“Bán” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- white
- Having the colour of snow or milk.Also: pale white, snow-white.
3 other meanings: blank or fair-haired or uncultivated
- 2blank
- Empty, with nothing written or filled in.Also: empty, unwritten.
- 3fair-haired
- Having light or blond hair.Also: fair, blond.
- 4uncultivated
- Describing land that is unploughed or left as grassland.Also: fallow, unploughed, lea.
“Bán” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is bán after páipéar (paper, masculine), after léine (shirt, 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: léine bhán. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: páipéar bán.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, bána. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: páipéir bhána; after other plurals it does not: léinte bána.
Whiter, whitest, very white
Tá an sneachta níos báine ná an páipéar. The snow is whiter than the paper.
| whiter | níos báine | in the past tense: ní ba bháine |
|---|---|---|
| whitest | is báine | in the past tense: ba bháine |
| as white as | chomh bán le | no change after chomh |
| very white | an-bhán | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too white | róbhán | ró- lenites |
“Bán” 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.
White in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for white?
The Irish for white is bán (pronounced “bawn”). It comes after the noun: páipéar bán, white paper; léine bhán, a white shirt.
How do you say whiter and whitest in Irish?
níos báine is whiter and is báine is whitest. In the past tense they become ní ba bháine and ba bháine.
Why does bán become bhán?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So léine bhán (a white shirt) but páipéar bán (white paper), because páipéar is masculine.
What is the plural of bán?
With a plural noun bán becomes bána: páipéir bhána, léinte bána. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very white in Irish?
an-bhán. Too white is róbhán, and as white as is chomh bán le.
Does bán have more than one meaning?
Yes. Bán can mean white, blank, fair-haired or uncultivated, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between bán and geal?
Bán is the colour white, as in léine bhán, while geal means bright or shining, as in solas geal. Geal is also used of white things in a poetic or emphatic sense.
How do I say a blank form in Irish?
Use bán for blank: foirm bhán, or leathanach bán for a blank page.
