White

adjective

1. Colour of snow – having the colour of fresh snow; very light in shade.
   • Irish: bán, geal
   • Examples:
     • It’s white → tá sé bán / tá sé geal
     • He wore a white shirt → bhí léine bhán air / bhí sé ag caitheamh léine gheal
     • She has white teeth → tá fiacla geala aici
2. Pale-skinned – having very fair skin.
   • Irish: bán, geal
   • Examples:
     • His father was white → fear geal a bhí ina athair
     • White people → daoine geala
3. Exclusive to white people – pertaining only to people of European descent.
   • Irish: daoine geala
   • Examples:
     • It was very much a white sport → daoine geala is mó a bhíodh ag imirt an spóirt sin
     • White supremacist → forchiníoch geal
4. With illness or emotion – pale because of sickness, fear, or shock.
   • Irish: bán san aghaidh, mílítheach
   • Examples:
     • His face was white → bhí sé bán san aghaidh / bhí sé mílítheach
     • She turned white with fear → d’iompaigh an lí inti leis an eagla
5. Coffee – with milk; a pale coffee.
   • Irish: caife bán, caife le bainne
6. Wine – light-coloured wine.
   • Irish: geal, bán
7. Food (bread, etc.) – pale or lightly coloured food.
   • Irish: bán, geal
8. Pure – symbolically clean or flawless.
   • Irish: bán, geal
   • Example:
     • As white as driven snow → chomh geal le hanam linbh / chomh geal le sneachta na hoíche

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noun
9. Colour – the colour white.

• Irish: bán, geal
• Examples:
  • She was wearing white → bán a bhí á chaitheamh aici / éadaí bána a bhí uirthi
  • I don’t like that white → ní maith liom an bán sin
  • The white of snow → gile an tsneachta

10. White person – a person of European descent.
    • Irish: duine geal
11. Egg white – the clear part of an egg.
    • Irish: gealacán
12. White wine – light-coloured wine.
    • Irish: fíon geal, fíon bán
    • Example: She prefers white to red → is fearr léi fíon geal ná fíon dearg
13. Chess piece – a piece of the white side.
    • Irish: bán
    • Example: There are only two whites remaining → níl ach dhá bhán fágtha
14. Chess player – the player controlling the white pieces.
    • Irish: an bán
    • Example: It’s white to move → bogadh an bháin atá ann / is leis an mbán bogadh
15. Ball in snooker or similar games – the white cue ball.
    • Irish: bán
    • Example: He potted the white → chuir sé an bán síos

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phrases

• The whites of your eyes → gealacán do chuid súl
  • Only the whites of her eyes were visible → ní raibh le feiceáil ach gealacán a cuid súl
• As white as a sheet → d’éirigh chomh bán le sneachta / tháinig dath an bháis uirthi
• To see the whites of someone’s eyes → ná bog go dtí go mbeidh tú ábalta breathnú idir an dá shúil orthu
• Whiter than white → níos gile ná an sneachta