Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Irish in Spanish: Irlandés / Irlandesa
Irlandés · adjective / noun · eer-lahn-DEHS
Irish in Spanish is irlandés (masculine) or irlandesa (feminine). As an adjective it describes anything from Ireland; as a noun it refers to an Irish person or the Irish language. Unlike English, nationality adjectives in Spanish are not capitalized.
eer-lahn-DEHS — three syllables, stress on the last. The initial i is a pure 'ee' sound, and the final -és rhymes with English 'mess.'
Mi vecino es irlandés y habla gaélico.
My neighbor is Irish and speaks Gaelic.
Irish in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for irish, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| irlandés | irish | eer-lahn-DEHS | Default, widely understood |
| irlandesa | irish | feminine form | |
| irlandeses | irish | plural masculine/mixed |
How Native Speakers Use Irlandés
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing nationality
Ella es irlandesa y vive en Dublín.
She is Irish and lives in Dublin.
Irlandesa is the feminine form, used when the subject is female.
Referring to the language
El irlandés es una lengua celta muy antigua.
Irish is a very old Celtic language.
El irlandés (with article) can refer to the Irish (Gaelic) language.
Cultural reference
La música irlandesa es famosa en todo el mundo.
Irish music is famous around the world.
Adjectives of nationality follow the noun and are not capitalized in Spanish.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Irlandés
Capitalizing the adjective
Incorrect: Comida Irlandesa
Correct: comida irlandesa
In Spanish, nationality adjectives are never capitalized (unlike English). Write irlandés/irlandesa in lowercase.
Using irlando or irlanda as an adjective
Incorrect: Él es irlanda.
Correct: Él es irlandés.
Irlanda is the country name (Ireland). The adjective/demonym is irlandés (masculine) or irlandesa (feminine).
Lock in Irish Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Irlandés used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using irlandés in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi vecino es irlandés y habla gaélico. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Irish in Spanish
- How do you say Irish in Spanish?
- Irish in Spanish is irlandés (masculine) or irlandesa (feminine). The plural forms are irlandeses and irlandesas.
- Is irlandés capitalized in Spanish?
- Not exactly — spanish does not capitalize nationality adjectives or demonyms. You write él es irlandés (lowercase), unlike English He is Irish (uppercase).
- How do you say Ireland in Spanish?
- Ireland is Irlanda in Spanish. Northern Ireland is Irlanda del Norte.