How To Say ‘It’s cold Outside!’ in Irish

Temperatures are dropping as we head into the depths of winter. Let’s take a bitesized look at how to say ‘Its cold outside!’ in Irish:

Tá sé fuar lasmuigh /Thaw shay foo-ur las-muh/

You could also say Tá sé fuar taobh amuigh /Thaw shay foo-ur thay-uv a-muh/

These two terms, lasmuigh /las-muh/ and taobh amuigh /thay-uv a-muh/, both mean outdoors or outside. They are not to be confused with the word amach /a-mokh/ which means ‘out’ but refers to motion.

If you were finding it very cold you might say ‘I’m perished with the cold’:

Táim préachta leis an bhfuacht /Thaw-im pray-ukh-thuh lesh un voo-ukth/

Here’s how to say ‘The temperature is below freezing’:

Tá an teocht faoi bhun an reophointe. /Thaw un tyo-ukth fwee vun un ryo-fween-teh/

If temperatures are below freezing at night you will have frost in the morning. Here’s how to say ‘There was frost in the morning’:

Bhí sioc ann ar maidin /Vee shuk awn air mah-dinn/

This word sioc /shuk/ means frost, but it is often used when talking about there being ice on the roads. If you need to let your friend know that ‘there is black ice on the roads’ here’s how:

Tá sioc dubh ar na bóithre /Thaw shuk duv air nuh boh-rih/

To simply say ‘It is snowing’ we say:

Tá sé ag cur sneachta  /Thaw shay egg kur shnokh-tah/

Let’s finish with a seanfhocal /shan-uk-ul/, or proverb, that talks of the cold of winter – and how we find it hard to imagine the harshness of the season whilst basking in the balminess of midsummer:

I lár an tsamhraidh saor ó bheann ní chreidimid go dtiocfaidh fuacht an tseaca anuas ar ár gceann /I lawr un thow-rig say-ur o vyown nee kred-im-eed guh dtyuk-hig foo-ukth un tak-uh a-noo-uss air orr gyown/

This translates as: ‘In the middle of summer free from care, we don’t believe that the cold of frost will descend on our heads.’

Be cool, a chara, but stay warm!