Body Parts and Feeling Unwell in Irish
Irish words for the body and common illnesses, and the natural Irish way of saying 'I have a headache' with the word orm.
Being able to say what hurts is useful in any language. Irish has its own natural way of expressing illness, and it's different from English.
Body parts
| English | Irish |
|---|---|
| head | ceann |
| eye | súil |
| ear | cluas |
| nose | srón |
| mouth | béal |
| tooth | fiacail |
| hand | lámh |
| finger | méar |
| leg / foot | cos |
| stomach | bolg |
| back | droim |
| heart | croí |
| hair | gruaig |
Illness: the Irish way
Irish doesn't say "I have a cold". It says a cold is on me (orm):
| English | Irish |
|---|---|
| I have a cold. | Tá slaghdán orm. |
| I have a fever. | Tá fiabhras orm. |
| I have a headache. | Tá tinneas cinn orm. |
| I have a cough. | Tá casacht orm. |
Pain
For pain, Irish uses pian ("pain") plus a location:
- Tá pian i mo bholg. — I have a pain in my stomach.
- Tá pian i mo chos. — I have a pain in my leg.
The phrase i mo means "in my", and it causes lenition of the noun that follows (bolg becomes bholg, cos becomes chos).
Saying you're sick
- Tá mé tinn. — I'm sick.
- Níl mé go maith. — I'm not well.
- Tá mé tuirseach. — I'm tired.
At the doctor
| English | Irish |
|---|---|
| doctor | dochtúir |
| nurse | banaltra |
| hospital | ospidéal |
| medicine | cógas |
- Ba mhaith liom dochtúir a fheiceáil. — I'd like to see a doctor.
Wishing someone well
- Biseach ort. — Get well soon.
Tips
- Learn "tá ... orm" for illnesses.
- Learn a few body parts at a time.
- Use the dictionary to check less common terms.
English Irish Dictionary
Offline English–Irish (Gaeilge) dictionary with clear, accurate meanings
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