Forgive me if this is overly crude, but how do you say 'have sex' in Irish? Is their crude and imaginative ways to say it, similar to English? It seems to be an overly taboo subject in dictionaries, which I find ridiculous, but anyway, anyone have a translation?

Is 'buaileadh craiceann/leathar' real or just made up like 'feis ort'?

'craiceann a bhualadh le' or 'luí le' according to my dictionary. I'm sure there's loads more though.

cúpláil

I agree with you, Dalta -- it's ridiculously immature that they omit such terms and phrases from dictionaries and the like.

"Luí le" is a quite literally translated as "lie with", which is a euphemism, which is no good for most contexts.

"Craiceann a bhualadh le" would translate literally as "to hit skin with", which sounds slightly colloquial to me.

I've heard "buail an leathar", but again I don't know how official it is, rather than colloquial.

The noun for "sex" is "gnéas"; so I'd say if you wanted a non-eumphemistic or non-colloquial term for sex (e.g. in a medical context), then I'd probably go with a verb like "engage" in conjuction with the verb "sex".

Maybe something like:

The woman had sex with the man and was subsequently impregnated.

Ghabh an bhean le gnéas leis an bhfear agus impregnatíodh í dá éis seo.
(Couldn't find "impregnate" in the dictionary either.)

Again, you could get more technical:

The woman engaged in sexual intercourse

And that's without bringing words like "coitus" into it.

quote:

I've heard "buail an leathar"

Ach gan an t-alt: buail leathar.

Tá foclóir ann daoibh: Ó Ghlíomáil go Giniúint: Foclóir na Collaíochta. It's actually reliable and provides quotations from Gaeltacht writers, etc.

Overly taboo for dictionaries? I have a pocket Spanish dictionary with every word that I'll ever need to explain anyone's love life and more =P Maybe you need a new dictionary.

I think "craiceann a bhualadh" isn't colloquial, it is the common way to say it.

I agree with Lughaidh...and isn't gnéas just a noun, not a verb? so to 'have gnéas' would be to either be male or female, not to be doing anything with the requisite plumbing....

I wonder how one would write an article as Gaeilge about HIV transmission in the developed world...

The primary means of transmission of HIV is to have sex with a person who is infected with the virus.

Is é príomh-mhodh tharchur VED ná leathar a bhualadh le duine atá galraithe leis an víoras.


I can't help but feel that terms like "hit leather" and "hit skin" are bit slang-like. . . ?

Both De Bhalraithe and Ó Dónaill have 'comhriachtain' for coition/sexual intercourse. 'Ag bualadh craiceann' is of course far more common. I believe that in Conamara, it is common to use 'craiceann' as shorthand for 'bualadh craiceann' as in: bhí caiceann againn aréir.

Botún, faraor:

"Bhí craiceann againn aréir"

I've found a nice little quotation of a translation:

Contraceptive means any appliance, instrument, drug, preparation designed or intended to prevent pregnancy resulting from sexual intercourse between human beings.

Ciallaíonn frithghiniúnach aon fhearas, deis, druga, ullmhóid atá ceaptha nó beartaithe chun toircheas de thoradh chomhriachtain idir daoine a chosc.

Here's the analogous terms:

contraceptive = frithghiniúnach
pregnancy = toircheas
sexual intercourse = comhriachtain

It seems that the English version is more technical than the Irish version. The Irish equivalent of "human beings" has been simplified to "daoine", and so I would presume that "sexual intercourse" has been simplified to plain old "sex".

I'll see if there's anything about sex in the Irish constitution, and find out what words they use.

I agree with Lughaidh...and isn't gnéas just a noun, not a verb?

It is a noun, not a verb, indeed.

I can't help but feel that terms like "hit leather" and "hit skin" are bit slang-like. . . ?

I couldn't help but feel the same thing as you, till I saw it in an Irish-language movie review in some Irish newspaper, and they wouldn't have used slang in such an article...

To have sex - - Cumasc a dhéanamh.
Cumasc (mixture, blend, merger)

I'm pretty definite it's correct.

Condoms - Coiscíní.

A Gay Gangbang - Drochíde choirp d'éinne atá ina aerach.

Teanga an-an-dána í an Ghaeilge... ;)

There's a few books out there that are just like Gaeilge porn dictionaries.. Not that i'd know anything about that like ;)

quote:

To have sex - - Cumasc a dhéanamh.

An gléas collaíochta an cumascóir mar sin? ;-) Ní raibh a fhios agam.

"A Gay Gangbang - Drochíde choirp d'éinne atá ina aerach. "

Now let's be serious here:
The translation is far too long in Irish. If I were, say, at an "Irish dinner", I don't think I could ever say "tráthnóna aréir, bhí mé ag drochíde choirp d'éinne atá ina aerach. bhí sé an-mhaith..."
I think that kind of paraphrastic translations misses the point completely...

ag bualadh craiceann

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8308/gaelsex.html

So, whats the term for wanking, ag cuimilt?

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8308/gaelsex.html

An-suíomh ar fad, tá gach rud ann, ag lámhchartadh(wanking) san áireamh.

Ach táim fós amhrasach faoi 'buaileadh craiceann'. A lughaidh, b'fhéidir go raibh sé oiriúnach don chomhthéacs san alt sin. Tá an chuma 'having it off' nó rud mar sin air.

An bhfuil aon shampla ag daoine ón nGaeltacht nó scríobhneoirí Gaeltachta?

quote:

Now let's be serious here:
The translation is far too long in Irish. If I were, say, at an "Irish dinner", I don't think I could ever say "tráthnóna aréir, bhí mé ag drochíde choirp d'éinne atá ina aerach. bhí sé an-mhaith..."
I think that kind of paraphrastic translations misses the point completely...

Which is why it is a poor translation.

To translate legitimate terms is one thing, but translating slang is harder again.

If we were to make a "term for term" translation, then "a gay gang bang" would simply be:

plab droinge aerach


Bhí mé ag plab droinge aerach aréir, bhí sé an-mhaith.

Bhí líne deas ag Breandán Ó hÉithir i "Lig sin i gcathú"

rachadh sé suas ar phláta dá mbeadh scoilt ann (ag trácht ar Táthach a bhí sé - sin atá ag de Bhaldraithe ar fornicator)

(Bhí sé seo faoin dteideal mícheart agam ar dtús - agus seans go bhfuil sé abhairín míchruinn, níor thochaill mé amach an leabhar).

is there anything better? like... what's oral in Irish? does anyone know?

I had an oral exam yesterday.

Bhí scrúdú béil agam inné.

The English word, "oral", does not specify whether it is referring to the mouth, or whether it is referring to speech -- I believe it is the same way in Irish.

Also, I think you can have "ó bhéal" instead of "béil" ("béil" being the genitive case of "béal"), although I am not certain as to when one would be chosen over the other.

Here's a excerpt from englishirishdictionary.com:

The Minister shall cause an oral hearing to be held.
Cuirfidh an tAire faoi deara éisteacht ó bhéal a sheoladh.

I presume "oral sex" would be "comhriachtain b(h)éil". I am unsure of whether "comhriachtain" is masculine or feminine, although my guess would be that it is feminine.

Cad é an Ghaeilge ar "fellatio"? De réir acmhainn.ie : fellatio! An bhfuil an focal seo le fáil in aon fhoclóir Gaeilge?

http://www.acmhainn.ie/tearmai/01f.htm

Goddess_fand ,
here one for you

cunnilingus s (Sex.) cunnilingus

http://www.acmhainn.ie/tearmai/01c.htm

and heres one for FnaB:

:- >

Nó cionn eile do dh'Fhear na mBróg ;-) : 8==o >

Thank you Robert ^_^ much appriecated

I wonder:
What are the connotations associated to "buachaill bán"?

Buachaill bán

1. buachaill a bhfuil gruaig fhionn air
2. fair-haired boy = favorite
3. (stairiúil) Bonnie Prince Charlie
4. (stairiúil) Whiteboy (saghas vigilante nó sceimhlitheoir nó guerilla)

Scríobh an file Cathal Ó Searcaigh dán dár teideal "An Buachaill Bán" a thosaíonn mar seo:

A bheith i ngrá le fear:
Sin scéal nach bhfuil na focla agam go fóill
lena insint, lena rá
amach ós ard, sa dóigh nach mbeidh sé 'mo chrá.

Foilsíodh é sa díolaim Buachaillí Bána a bhfuil rogha dá chuid dánta grá agus eile ann.

Féach freisin: bán, aidiacht Fiáin (ó thaobh leathair de) Tá Muirisín imithe ~ i ndiaidh iníon Thaidhg. P[ádraig] Ua M[aoileoin] (as Ó Ghlíomáil go Giniúint)

I went looking to the answer to this question by asking people in Irish language pubs and it got me into lots of trouble! I read a line: 'nuair a riachamar' which was supposed to mean when we have sex but have found no one that would admit having heard this word previously in real speech. Please let me know if you have heard it.

I suppose it's a difficult topic to get people to discuss in any language in Ireland and this is surely the reason for all the euphemisms used to refer to it indirectly. One of the best answers I got when discussing this subject was someone who said he had been asked 'ar chuir tú an tsúil intí go fóill' by an older male relative after introducing a new girlfriend. This same line of conversation also informed me that there were two terms 'féintruailliú' and 'feisteas lámha' which refer to autonomous sex, but that discussion got me in such trouble I'll say no more about my opinions of these two expressions.

A safer more anonymous source of info on all things big and small, I've found is the book 'Caiticiosma na hEaglaise Caitlicí' (isbn 1-85390-589-5)www.veritas.ie It's a direct translation of the on-line English language version 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_P85.HTM#PW. You can search any word, even one as unholy as sexuality and find amazingly clear text about a variety of its aspects cited in paragraphs from 2351 (Oilbhéimeanna in aghaidh na geanmnaíochta or Offences against Chastity) to 2400 (Oilbhéimeanna eile do dhínit an phósta or Other offenses against the dignity of marriage). If you read the text in the paragraphs linked above and are curious about how the text reads in Irish, I'll type in the translation for you.

It's comforting to know I wasn't the only one curious about this subject -- from a purely linguistic interest of course . . .

an cailín fiosrach

Lughaidh,
you, as always have the biggest and best, answer

quote:

two terms 'féintruailliú' and 'feisteas lámha' which refer to autonomous sex

For a discussion of the complexities of "feis láimhe", see the Old-Irish-L archives for November 2004, subject: "hand festival".

https://listserv.heanet.ie/old-irish-l.html

Quoting again from the same poem by Cathal Ó Searcaigh:

Agus sa tséimhíocht seo
cailleann sé a thoirt is a thoirtéis
agus mé ag dlúthú leis
i bhfeis leapa agus láimhe

Agus maidir le féintruailliú, bhuel... céard is féidir a rá? Ná truailligh thú féin, lig le duine eile do thruailliú!? An í sin teachtaireacht an téarma truamhéalaigh sin (nach bhfuil in FGB ar chor ar bith)?

Ye nuair a bhí Hector san Afraic nó áit éigin táim 100% cinnte gur d'úsáid sé an focal "féintruailliú" - foghlaítear gach sórt rud ar tg4 ;)

To have sex with someone - luí le duine.
- cumasc a dhéanamh le duine

If it's so arduous to get definite legitimate terms out of native speakers (to translate "have sex" as "luigh le" is as childish as translating genitalia as "private area"), then I'd just ignore all their socially constrained euphemisms -- so just take the word "gnéas" and use it willy nilly:

Rinne siad gnéas.
Ionsaíodh an bhean go gnéasach.
Bhí siad ag déanamh gnéis bhéil.
Bhí páirt ag an gcailín i scannán pornagrafíoch ag déanamh a céad radharc de ghnéas tóna.


As for "masturbation", how about "gnéas aonair"?

Em, b'fearr liom claoi le caint na ndaoine nó gan a bheith ag caint ar chor ar bith faoi ná a bheith ag caint faoi le tearmaí cumtha agat go'willy nilly' mar a deir tú a FnaB!

I wouldn't say that it's exactly arduous. You'll find that people are quite often eager to explain non verbally if need be . . .

Ar chuir tú an tsúil inti?
Conas tá an leaidín maol?

riachadh
raighdeáíl
bualadh craicinn
bualadh leathair
leathar
craiceann
tarraingt a bhod
ag snasadh an leaidín maol
bod san béal
bod san bearna
i bhfolach sa ghabhailín

i mbun gnó
gafa le leathair
ag tarraingt an téidín

scaoil amach an bobailín
gnóthach sa ghort

Here's my own opinion:

The English word "sex" is very handy. It is a blank and white, plain and simple way to refer to all things sexual. It can be used in any context (whether professional or colloquial).

A lot of people have offerred different Irish terms and phrases for all things sexual, for example, translations of:

sex
vaginal sexual intercourse
oral sex
anal sex
masturbation

but the vast majority of all terms offerred were either colloquial or euphemistic.

Let's take a look at some of them:

comhriachtain: This seems to be the favourite for "sex", but I can't find it in any dictionary so I can't form an opinion on how suitable it is. For instance, does it refer solely to heterosexual vaginal intercourse? Or, like the English word "sex", can it refer to any sexual activity whatsoever? (Bill Clinton comes to mind...)

buail leathar, buail craiceann: These seem very colloquial to me -- I can't imagine a two hundred page exposé on AIDS using such terms as "The two subjects hit skin and subject B was subsequently infected with...".

cuir an tsúil inti/ann: Again this seems colloquial... unless some people engage in "eye sex".

There's a whole plethora of colloquial terms for both the male and female genitalia -- for example, referring to a vulva as a "gate", and a penis as a "stick", but we're not looking for colloquial terms.

How about we actually burry this one and give a guide to sexual terms which can be put up on a website (acmhainn.ie maybe?). The explanations are just as valuable as the words themselves; for instance, there's no point in telling someone the Irish word for "sex" if they are unsure of how restrictive or encapsulating it is.

"but we're not looking for colloquial terms." Who says? Nach bhfuil canúnaí i bhfolach áit éigin?!

My English neighbour - your translations are just fabulous!!!

Cúpla ceann eile;

Bean ar meisce, pis in aisce
Drunken woman, free ride!

Lí tóna
Arse-licking

Bod duine éigin a dhiúl
To give someone a blowjob

Bheith go hadharcach
To have a boner

Balúnaí
woman with big boobs

Fear crúite / Bliteoir
Cocksuker male/female faoi seach.

Bet ya weren't taught that in school were ya!?

Scríobh FnaB:

quote:

Bhí siad ag déanamh gnéis bhéil.

Fuair mé an abairt seo a bhuí le Google:

"Is ionfhabhtú baictéireach an tsifilis a leathnaítear ó dhuine go duine ag teagmháil ghnéasach gan chosaint, gnéas béil san áireamh."

www.nics.gov.uk/press/hss/011023ai-hss.htm

Tá an tsifilis ag éirí níos coitianta i Stát Washington chomh maith, go háirithe i Seattle.
Chonaic mé fear i mBellingham roimh Nollag a raibh gríos ar a bhosa aige. Sifilis a bhí ann. Níl ach cúpla galar a chuireann gríos ar an bos.

A FhnaB, ceapaim go bhfuil tú ag cur an Béarla ar an nGaeilge le do thuairimí. I mBéarla, tá an focal 'sex' ann, de réir staire an Bhéarla. Sin Béarla agus sin an maoiniú atá ar an bhfocal sin. Ach i nGaeilge, lena stair difriúil, tá chaoi eile an rud chéanna a léiríú, agus is féidir rudaí 'colloquial' a bheith ann mar an gCaighdeán. Ceapaim go bhfuil 'cúrsaí chomhriachtain' (fóclóir De Bhaldraithe) ann mar an úsáid foirmiúil ar an bhfocal agus 'cúrsaí craicinn' go 'colloquial'. Agus na nathanna eile mar 'colloquialisms' eile, mar is gnách i mBéarla chomh maith.

A Dhónaill, a chara,

What do you mean by word "boner" in this context? I always thought it is just another word for "blunder" or "gaffe".

Le meas

boner = adharc, cf. definition #6 s.v. adharc in FGB:

6. Physiol: Erection

Tuairimí agus nathanna an-suimiúl anseo. Do bhíos ag gáire nuair a chonaic mé an cheist faoi gnéas. Táim díreach tar éis cúpla nathanna "cabhrúil" a thabhairt do mo chara Meiricánach. Bhí "dhiúl mo bhod" againn comh maith le "chraiceann a bhualadh" agus "bualadh leathar".

"What do you mean by word "boner" in this context? I always thought it is just another word for "blunder" or "gaffe"."

Ya, you bump into someone and go "exuse by boner". Good excuse, must try that on the train tonight

Róman it's spelt

Domhnall!

Here's another two rude ones ;

Suas crompán an chacamais gan chéasla
- - Up shit creek without a paddle

Theastaigh uaim fad dem shlat a thabhairt di
- - I wanted to screw her

Yes boner as in hard penis!

Is breá liom Gaeilge..