What is “in” in Irish?
English has one small word, “in”, and uses it for places (“in the house”), for times (“in May”), for states (“in pain”, “in love”) and for much else. Irish has a word for all of these as well, and it is short: i. Written as a single letter, it is easy to overlook, and it does a great deal of work. This lesson teaches i and the changes it makes to the words around it.
I is a preposition. Before a word that begins with a consonant it is i: i nGaillimh, “in Galway”. Before a word that begins with a vowel it becomes in: in Éirinn, “in Ireland”. When it meets the word for “the”, it joins it: i plus an is sa (before a consonant), or san (before a vowel); i plus na is sna. So “in the house” is sa teach, “in the hospital” is san ospidéal, and “in the rooms” is sna seomraí.
Three things happen to the noun that comes after i. With no article, i eclipses it: i dteach, “in a house”; i gcathair, “in a city”; i mBaile Átha Cliath, “in Dublin”. With the singular article, sa lenites it: sa chistin, “in the kitchen”. And the plural sna leaves it alone: sna seomraí. Eclipsis and lenition are both marks of the Irish consonant mutations; this lesson shows each of them at work.
Like all Irish prepositions, i does not stand beside a pronoun. It joins it. I plus mé is ionam; i plus tú is ionat; and so on. Two of these forms, ann (“in him, in it”, masculine) and inti (“in her, in it”, feminine), are very common, and ann has a second life as the adverb “there”. The full set of seven is in Section D.
This lesson uses the Standard Irish of An Caighdeán Oifigiúil. Section E notes that the Gaeltacht dialects vary, and the prepositional pronouns of i vary more than most.
FAQ: What does “in” mean in Irish?
Q: How do I say “in a house”, “in a city”? A: I dteach, i gcathair. With no article, i eclipses the next word.
Q: How do I say “in the house”, “in the kitchen”? A: Sa teach, sa chistin. Sa is i plus an, and it lenites the noun (but not d, t or s-masculine).
Q: How do I say “in Ireland”? A: In Éirinn. I becomes in before a vowel.
Q: How do I say “in it” or “there is something in it”? A: Ann for a masculine noun, inti for a feminine one. Tá airgead ann, “there is money in it”.
Q: How do I say “in Irish”, meaning the language? A: As Gaeilge, with as (“out of”), not i. See Section E.
Key Takeaways:
- I means “in”, in space, in time and in state: sa teach, i mí na Bealtaine, i bpian - I becomes in before a vowel: in Éirinn. With the article it is sa, san or sna: sa chistin, san ospidéal, sna seomraí - Without an article, i eclipses the next word: i dteach, i gcathair, i nGaillimh, i mBaile Átha Cliath. With sa the noun is lenited - I joins the pronoun: ionam, ionat, ann, inti, ionainn, ionaibh, iontu. Ann and inti are the commonest - “In my”, “in your”: i mo, i do, and the noun is lenited: i mo chónaí, i do chónaí
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
I /ɪ/ — a short vowel, as in English “bit”. It is never “eye” and never “ee”.
In /ɪn̠ʲ/ — the same vowel, then a slender n. Said before the vowel of the next word: in Éirinn.
Sa /sˠə/ — “suh”, with the broad s. Unstressed.
San /sˠən̪ˠ/ — “sun”, with the same unstressed vowel.
Sna /sˠn̪ˠə/ — an s and an n said together, then the unstressed vowel.
Ann /aun̪ˠ/ — the vowel of English “cow”, then a broad n.
Inti /ˈɪn̠ʲtʲɪ/ — “IN-chee”, with a slender t.
The other prepositional pronouns vary a great deal by dialect. The pronunciations below are those recorded for the Aran Islands (Wiktionary, after Finck): ionam /ˈin̪ˠəmˠ/, ionainn /ˈɪn̪ˠən̠ʲ/, ionaibh /ˈɪn̪ˠiː/, iontu /ˈiːn̪ˠt̪ˠə/ (in Aran with a b added at the end). The Munster forms begin with a u: ionam /ˈun̪ˠəmˠ/, iontu /ˈuːn̪ˠt̪ˠə/. Ionat is said like ionam, with a t at the end. Learn one set and expect to hear others.
Eclipsis changes the sound of the first letter, and the original letter is not heard: bp is /b/, dt is /d̪ˠ/ or /dʲ/, gc is /ɡ/, bhf is /w/ or /vʲ/, mb is /mˠ/, ng is /ŋ/, nd is /n̪ˠ/. So i nGaillimh is said /ɪ ˈŋalʲɪvʲ/, with a g that is not heard at all, only the ng.
Lenition (after sa): ch is /x/ or /ç/, bh /w/ or /vʲ/, mh /w/ or /vʲ/, th /h/. In sa chistin the ch is slender, /ç/, the sound of German “ich”.
Sounds absent from English: the broad and slender pairs, the ch /x/ and /ç/, and the ng /ŋ/ at the start of a word. In the IPA a small raised ˠ marks a broad consonant and a raised ʲ a slender one.
Stress falls on the first syllable of nearly every Irish word. I, in, sa and san are small words and are not stressed in a sentence.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Duplex Method: line a gives each Irish word with its meaning; line b gives the same words with IPA and grammatical glosses. Examples 7.1 to 7.12, 7.14 and 7.15 are constructed for this lesson from verified forms and patterns; 7.13 uses the standard phrase i mí na Bealtaine (Teanglann). In 7.7, Baile Átha Cliath is glossed word by word: “town of the ford of hurdles”.
7.1a Tá is sé he sa in-the teach house
7.1b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES sé /ʃeː/ he.3SG.M sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG teach /tʲax/ house.M.SG
7.2a Tá is mé I in in Éirinn Ireland
7.2b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG in /ɪn̠ʲ/ in Éirinn /ˈeːɾʲɪn̠ʲ/ Ireland.F.DAT
7.3a Tá is sí she i in nGaillimh Galway
7.3b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES sí /ʃiː/ she.3SG.F i /ɪ/ in nGaillimh /ˈŋalʲɪvʲ/ Galway.F.ECL
7.4a Tá is siad they sa in-the chistin kitchen
7.4b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES siad /ʃiəd̪ˠ/ they.3PL sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG chistin /ˈçɪʃtʲɪnʲ/ kitchen.F.SG.LEN
7.5a Tá is airgead money ann in-it
7.5b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES airgead /ˈaɾˠəɡʲəd̪ˠ/ money.M.SG ann /aun̪ˠ/ in.3SG.M
7.6a Tá is an the madra dog sa in-the tsráid street anois now
7.6b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES an /ən̪ˠ/ the.SG.M madra /ˈmˠad̪ˠɾˠə/ dog.M.SG sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG tsráid /t̪ˠɾˠaːdʲ/ street.F.SG.T-PROTH anois /əˈn̪ˠɪʃ/ now
7.7a Tá is cairde friends agam at-me i in mBaile town Átha of-ford Cliath of-hurdles
7.7b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES cairde /ˈkaɾˠdʲə/ friend.PL agam /ˈaɡəmˠ/ at.1SG i /ɪ/ in mBaile /ˈmˠalʲə/ town.M.SG.ECL Átha /ˈaːhə/ ford.GEN Cliath /clʲiə/ hurdle.PL.GEN
7.8a Tá are na the páistí children sna in-the seomraí rooms anois now
7.8b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES na /n̪ˠə/ the.PL páistí /ˈpˠaːʃtʲiː/ child.PL sna /sˠn̪ˠə/ in-the.PL seomraí /ˈʃoːmˠɾˠiː/ room.PL anois /əˈn̪ˠɪʃ/ now
7.9a Tá are seomraí rooms móra big sa in-the teach house agus and tá is leaba bed iontu in-them
7.9b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES seomraí /ˈʃoːmˠɾˠiː/ room.PL móra /ˈmˠoːɾˠə/ big.PL sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG teach /tʲax/ house.M.SG agus /ˈaɡəsˠ/ and tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES leaba /ˈlʲabˠə/ bed.F.SG iontu /ˈiːn̪ˠt̪ˠə/ in.3PL
7.10a Bhí was sí she ag at obair working san in-the ospidéal hospital inné yesterday
7.10b Bhí /vʲiː/ be.PAST sí /ʃiː/ she.3SG.F ag /ɛɡ/ at obair /ˈɔbˠəɾʲ/ work.VN san /sˠən̪ˠ/ in-the.SG ospidéal /ˈɔsˠpʲɪdʲeːlˠ/ hospital.M.SG inné /ɪˈn̠ʲeː/ yesterday
7.11a Tá is teach house beag small aici at-her sa in-the tír country
7.11b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES teach /tʲax/ house.M.SG beag /bʲɔɡ/ small aici /ˈɛcɪ/ at.3SG.F sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG tír /tʲiːɾʲ/ country.F.SG
7.12a Tá is an the buachaill boy i in bpian pain agus and tá is sé he san in-the ospidéal hospital
7.12b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES an /ən̪ˠ/ the.SG.M buachaill /ˈbˠuəxəlʲ/ boy.M.SG i /ɪ/ in bpian /bʲiən̪ˠ/ pain.F.SG.ECL agus /ˈaɡəsˠ/ and tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES sé /ʃeː/ he.3SG.M san /sˠən̪ˠ/ in-the.SG ospidéal /ˈɔsˠpʲɪdʲeːlˠ/ hospital.M.SG
7.13a Bhí was mé I i in nGaillimh Galway i in mí month na of-the Bealtaine May
7.13b Bhí /vʲiː/ be.PAST mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG i /ɪ/ in nGaillimh /ˈŋalʲɪvʲ/ Galway.F.ECL i /ɪ/ in mí /mʲiː/ month.F.SG na /n̪ˠə/ the.GEN.SG.F Bealtaine /ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə/ May.GEN
7.14a Tá is sé it fuar cold san in-the oíche night ach but tá is sé it te warm sa in-the lá day
7.14b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES sé /ʃeː/ it.3SG.M fuar /fˠuəɾˠ/ cold san /sˠən̪ˠ/ in-the.SG oíche /ˈiːhə/ night.F.SG ach /ax/ but tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES sé /ʃeː/ it.3SG.M te /tʲɛ/ warm sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG lá /l̪ˠaː/ day.M.SG
7.15a Tá is an the siopa shop i in lár middle na of-the cathrach city
7.15b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES an /ən̪ˠ/ the.SG.M siopa /ˈʃʊpˠə/ shop.M.SG i /ɪ/ in lár /l̪ˠaːɾˠ/ middle.M.SG na /n̪ˠə/ the.GEN.SG.F cathrach /ˈkahɾˠəx/ city.F.GEN
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
7.1 Tá sé sa teach. → “He is in the house.”
7.2 Tá mé in Éirinn. → “I am in Ireland.”
7.3 Tá sí i nGaillimh. → “She is in Galway.”
7.4 Tá siad sa chistin. → “They are in the kitchen.”
7.5 Tá airgead ann. → “There is money in it.”
7.6 Tá an madra sa tsráid anois. → “The dog is in the street now.”
7.7 Tá cairde agam i mBaile Átha Cliath. → “I have friends in Dublin.”
7.8 Tá na páistí sna seomraí anois. → “The children are in the rooms now.”
7.9 Tá seomraí móra sa teach agus tá leaba iontu. → “There are big rooms in the house and there is a bed in them.”
7.10 Bhí sí ag obair san ospidéal inné. → “She was working in the hospital yesterday.”
7.11 Tá teach beag aici sa tír. → “She has a small house in the country.”
7.12 Tá an buachaill i bpian agus tá sé san ospidéal. → “The boy is in pain and he is in the hospital.”
7.13 Bhí mé i nGaillimh i mí na Bealtaine. → “I was in Galway in May.”
7.14 Tá sé fuar san oíche ach tá sé te sa lá. → “It is cold at night but it is warm in the day.”
7.15 Tá an siopa i lár na cathrach. → “The shop is in the centre of the city.”
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
7.1 Tá sé sa teach.
7.2 Tá mé in Éirinn.
7.3 Tá sí i nGaillimh.
7.4 Tá siad sa chistin.
7.5 Tá airgead ann.
7.6 Tá an madra sa tsráid anois.
7.7 Tá cairde agam i mBaile Átha Cliath.
7.8 Tá na páistí sna seomraí anois.
7.9 Tá seomraí móra sa teach agus tá leaba iontu.
7.10 Bhí sí ag obair san ospidéal inné.
7.11 Tá teach beag aici sa tír.
7.12 Tá an buachaill i bpian agus tá sé san ospidéal.
7.13 Bhí mé i nGaillimh i mí na Bealtaine.
7.14 Tá sé fuar san oíche ach tá sé te sa lá.
7.15 Tá an siopa i lár na cathrach.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
These are the grammar rules for “in” (i and its forms) in Irish:
1. I and in
I is the form before a consonant: i nGaillimh (7.3), i mBaile Átha Cliath (7.7), i bpian (7.12), i lár (7.15). In is the form before a vowel: in Éirinn (7.2), in Albain, “in Scotland”. A small word, but it must agree with the next word’s first sound, and so it is one of the first things a learner has to notice.
2. Eclipsis after i, with no article
With no article, i eclipses the noun: the first consonant is replaced by another letter written in front of it, and only the new letter is heard. The eclipsed pairs are:
b becomes mb: i mBaile Átha Cliath (7.7) c becomes gc: i gcathair, “in a city” d becomes nd: i ndoras, “in a door” f becomes bhf: i bhfarraige, “in a sea” g becomes ng: i nGaillimh (7.3), i ngrá, “in love” p becomes bp: i bpian (7.12), “in pain” t becomes dt: i dteach, “in a house”
Words that begin with l, m, n, r, s or a vowel are not changed: i lár (7.15), i mí (7.13). A vowel after i uses in, as above.
3. Sa, san and sna: i with the article
I and an together are sa before a consonant and san before a vowel. I and na together are sna.
Sa lenites the noun: sa chistin (7.4), sa bhaile, “at home”. A noun that begins with d, t or a masculine s is left alone: sa teach (7.1, 7.9), sa tír (7.11), sa lá (7.14), sa siopa. A feminine noun that begins with s followed by a vowel, l, n or r takes a t: sa tsráid (7.6), “in the street”.
Before a vowel it is san, and there is no further change: san ospidéal (7.10, 7.12), san oíche (7.14). Before f followed by a vowel it is also san, with lenition (san fharraige, “in the sea”).
Sna has no mutation of a consonant: sna seomraí (7.8). Before a vowel an h is written: sna hoifigí, “in the offices”.
Do not write i an, and do not write i na with a plural noun apart: it is always sa, san, sna.
4. The prepositional pronouns of i
I joins the pronoun. There are seven forms:
ionam — in me ionat — in you (one person) ann — in him, in it (masculine) inti — in her, in it (feminine) ionainn — in us ionaibh — in you (more than one person) iontu — in them
Ann and inti refer back to a noun that has just been mentioned: tá airgead ann (7.5), “there is money in it”, with ann for a masculine noun; tá bord mór inti (genre section, 28), “there is a big table in it”, with inti for cistin, which is feminine. Iontu is the plural: tá leaba iontu (7.9), “there is a bed in them”, referring back to the rooms (seomraí móra).
Ionam, ionat, ionainn and ionaibh refer to people, and they are met less often than ann, inti and iontu. Each has an emphatic form made with a suffix: ionainne, ionaibhse, iontusan (Wiktionary).
Ann has a second life as the adverb “there”: an bhfuil tú ag teacht ann? (genre section, 24), “are you coming there?”; beidh mé ann (genre section, 25), “I will be there”. It is the same spelling and the same pronunciation, and only the sentence tells you which is meant. Do not confuse it with an, “the”, or with an, the question particle.
5. What i covers
Place: sa teach (7.1), in Éirinn (7.2), i lár na cathrach (7.15), “in the middle of the city”. With a town, county or country the article is left out and i eclipses: i nGaillimh.
Time: i mí na Bealtaine (7.13), “in May”; san oíche (7.14), “at night”; sa samhradh (genre section, 24), “in the summer”.
State: i bpian (7.12), “in pain”; i ngrá (genre section, 29), “in love”. The noun is eclipsed, as after any i with no article.
6. I with “my” and “your”
With a possessive, i joins it: i mo (“in my”) and i do (“in your”). The noun is lenited: i mo theach, “in my house”; i do theach, “in your house”. The pair i mo chónaí and i do chónaí (genre section, 22, 23) is a fixed idiom for “living”: tá mé i mo chónaí i nGaillimh, “I live in Galway”, literally “I am in my dwelling in Galway”. Other possessives have their own forms (ina, inár, in bhur) which a later lesson will set out.
7. What i is not
For motion into something Irish uses isteach with i: chuaigh sé isteach sa teach, “he went into the house”. For “at”, use ag; for “on”, use ar: ar an mbord, “on the table”; and Irish speakers say ar Inis Mór, “on Inis Mór”, for an island, not i.
Common mistakes for English speakers:
Mistake: Writing i and an apart. ✗ i an teach → ✓ sa teach.
Mistake: Forgetting the eclipsis. ✗ i Gaillimh → ✓ i nGaillimh. ✗ i teach → ✓ i dteach.
Mistake: Forgetting the lenition after sa. ✗ sa cistin → ✓ sa chistin.
Mistake: Lenition after sa with d, t or masculine s. ✗ sa theach → ✓ sa teach. ✗ sa shiopa → ✓ sa siopa.
Mistake: Forgetting the t of feminine s-nouns. ✗ sa sráid → ✓ sa tsráid.
Mistake: Using i before a vowel. ✗ i Éirinn → ✓ in Éirinn.
Mistake: Using sa before a vowel. ✗ sa ospidéal → ✓ san ospidéal.
Mistake: Putting the pronoun apart. ✗ i sí → ✓ inti. ✗ i mé → ✓ ionam.
Mistake: Using i for an island or a surface. ✗ i Inis Mór → ✓ ar Inis Mór.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Frequency
I is among the most frequent words in written Irish: the vocabulary list for this course ranks “in” seventh, straight after “to”. Every “in the” is also one of sa, san or sna, so the word is met in these forms as often as on its own.
Everyday phrases
Sa bhaile, “at home”: the same sa as sa teach, with a lenited baile. It is a fixed phrase, and the question an bhfuil tú sa bhaile? (genre section, 16) is the natural first question on a telephone.
Tá cónaí orm i nGaillimh, “I live in Galway”, and the matching question cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí?, “where do you live?”. Both forms are common: tá mé i mo chónaí i nGaillimh uses i, and tá cónaí orm uses ar, “on”.
As Gaeilge, “in Irish” (as a language), and as Béarla, “in English”. To speak, write or say something in a language Irish uses as, “out of”: cén chaoi a ndeir tú é sin as Gaeilge?, “how do you say that in Irish?”. Dublin
Baile Átha Cliath, the Irish name of Dublin, is usually explained as “town of the ford of hurdles”. The word baile is “town” or “home”: sa bhaile is the same word.
Dialects
The forms of this lesson are those of the standard. The prepositional pronouns of i, in particular, are pronounced very differently from Munster to Connacht to Ulster, and you will hear ionam as something like “unum” in the south. Learn the standard spelling first and expect to hear others.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Source: Bunreacht na hÉireann (the Constitution of Ireland), 1937, the Preamble. The opening words of the Irish text, which begin with this lesson’s word. The wording was checked against two online copies of the Irish text (the CELT edition at University College Cork, and the Vicipéid article on the Constitution). The Irish Statute Book copy refused the automated request, so the citation has not been checked against it.
Context: The Preamble opens the Constitution with an invocation. In English it begins “In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity”. The Irish version opens with the same preposition, and since the next word, Ainm, begins with a vowel, it is in and not i. The capital letter on Ainm belongs to the formal style of the text.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
F.1a In in Ainm name na of-the Tríonóide Trinity Ró-Naofa most-holy
F.1b In /ɪn̠ʲ/ in Ainm /ˈanʲəmʲ/ name.M.SG na /n̪ˠə/ the.GEN.SG.F Tríonóide /ˈtʲɾʲiːn̪ˠoːdʲə/ Trinity.F.GEN Ró-Naofa /ɾˠoː ˈn̪ˠiːfˠə/ most-holy.GEN.SG.F
F-B: Authentic Text with Idiomatic English Translation
In Ainm na Tríonóide Ró-Naofa
→ “In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity.” (Latinum Institute translation of the opening words.)
F-C: Authentic Text Only
In Ainm na Tríonóide Ró-Naofa
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
In (F.1) — the form of i before a vowel: the same word as the i of i nGaillimh, as in Éirinn (7.2).
Ainm (F.1) — “name”, as in cad is ainm duit? (Lesson 6). It begins with a vowel, so i has the form in and the noun is not changed. The capital is the formal style of the Preamble.
Na Tríonóide (F.1) — the article and the noun are in the genitive, because the Trinity is “of” the Name. The genitive of tríonóid is tríonóide, and the article is na.
Ró-Naofa (F.1) — naofa is “holy”, and ró- is the prefix “very, most”, joined with a hyphen. It agrees with Tríonóide in the genitive feminine.
Only the opening words are cited here. The Irish text goes on past them, and its wording is not given in this lesson because it could not be checked against the Irish Statute Book in the session in which the lesson was written.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
A dialogue written for this lesson. Seán telephones his friend Máire. She is in Dublin, working in a hospital, though she lives in Galway. Seán has a house in the country and asks her to visit. The dialogue uses i and its forms throughout: i with eclipsis (i mBaile Átha Cliath, i nGaillimh, i ngrá), sa, san and sna with their mutations, i mo and i do, and the prepositional pronouns ann and inti.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
7.16a Dia God duit to-you a O Mháire Máire An Q bhfuil is tú you sa in-the bhaile home
7.16b Dia /dʲiə/ God.M.SG duit /d̪ˠɪtʲ/ to.2SG a /ə/ VOC Mháire /ˈwaːɾʲə/ Máire.VOC.LEN An /ən̪ˠ/ Q bhfuil /wɪlʲ/ be.PRES.ECL tú /t̪ˠuː/ you.2SG sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG bhaile /ˈwalʲə/ home.M.SG.LEN
7.17a Níl is-not Tá is mé I i in mBaile town Átha of-ford Cliath of-hurdles anois now
7.17b Níl /n̠ʲiːlʲ/ be.NEG.PRES Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG i /ɪ/ in mBaile /ˈmˠalʲə/ town.M.SG.ECL Átha /ˈaːhə/ ford.GEN Cliath /clʲiə/ hurdle.PL.GEN anois /əˈn̪ˠɪʃ/ now
7.18a Cén which fáth reason a that bhfuil is tú you i in mBaile town Átha of-ford Cliath of-hurdles
7.18b Cén /ceːn̪ˠ/ which.Q fáth /fˠaː/ reason.M.SG a /ə/ REL.PART.ECL bhfuil /wɪlʲ/ be.PRES.ECL tú /t̪ˠuː/ you.2SG i /ɪ/ in mBaile /ˈmˠalʲə/ town.M.SG.ECL Átha /ˈaːhə/ ford.GEN Cliath /clʲiə/ hurdle.PL.GEN
7.19a Tá is mé I ag at obair working san in-the ospidéal hospital anois now
7.19b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG ag /ɛɡ/ at obair /ˈɔbˠəɾʲ/ work.VN san /sˠən̪ˠ/ in-the.SG ospidéal /ˈɔsˠpʲɪdʲeːlˠ/ hospital.M.SG anois /əˈn̪ˠɪʃ/ now
7.20a An Q bhfuil is tú you sásta content san in-the ospidéal hospital
7.20b An /ən̪ˠ/ Q bhfuil /wɪlʲ/ be.PRES.ECL tú /t̪ˠuː/ you.2SG sásta /ˈsˠaːsˠt̪ˠə/ content san /sˠən̪ˠ/ in-the.SG ospidéal /ˈɔsˠpʲɪdʲeːlˠ/ hospital.M.SG
7.21a Tá is mé I sásta content ann in-it agus and tá are cairde friends agam at-me ann in-it
7.21b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG sásta /ˈsˠaːsˠt̪ˠə/ content ann /aun̪ˠ/ in.3SG.M agus /ˈaɡəsˠ/ and tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES cairde /ˈkaɾˠdʲə/ friend.PL agam /ˈaɡəmˠ/ at.1SG ann /aun̪ˠ/ in.3SG.M
7.22a Cá where bhfuil is tú you i in do your chónaí dwelling anois now
7.22b Cá /kaː/ where bhfuil /wɪlʲ/ be.PRES.ECL tú /t̪ˠuː/ you.2SG i /ɪ/ in do /d̪ˠə/ your.2SG.LEN chónaí /ˈxoːn̪ˠiː/ dwelling.M.SG.LEN anois /əˈn̪ˠɪʃ/ now
7.23a Tá is mé I i in mo my chónaí dwelling i in nGaillimh Galway
7.23b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG i /ɪ/ in mo /mˠə/ my.1SG.LEN chónaí /ˈxoːn̪ˠiː/ dwelling.M.SG.LEN i /ɪ/ in nGaillimh /ˈŋalʲɪvʲ/ Galway.F.ECL
7.24a Tá is teach house agam at-me sa in-the tír country An Q bhfuil is tú you ag at teacht coming ann there sa in-the samhradh summer
7.24b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES teach /tʲax/ house.M.SG agam /ˈaɡəmˠ/ at.1SG sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG tír /tʲiːɾʲ/ country.F.SG An /ən̪ˠ/ Q bhfuil /wɪlʲ/ be.PRES.ECL tú /t̪ˠuː/ you.2SG ag /ɛɡ/ at teacht /tʲaxt̪ˠ/ come.VN ann /aun̪ˠ/ there sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG samhradh /ˈsˠaʊɾˠə/ summer.M.SG
7.25a Tá yes Beidh will-be mé I ann there i in mí month Iúil July
7.25b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES (yes) Beidh /bʲɛ/ be.FUT mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG ann /aun̪ˠ/ there i /ɪ/ in mí /mʲiː/ month.F.SG Iúil /uːlʲ/ July
7.26a Tá is seomra room duit to-you sa in-the teach house agus and tá is leaba bed mhór big ann in-it
7.26b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES seomra /ˈʃoːmˠɾˠə/ room.M.SG duit /d̪ˠɪtʲ/ to.2SG sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG teach /tʲax/ house.M.SG agus /ˈaɡəsˠ/ and tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES leaba /ˈlʲabˠə/ bed.F.SG mhór /woːɾˠ/ big.F.LEN ann /aun̪ˠ/ in.3SG.M
7.27a Go PART raibh may-be maith good agat at-you Cad what atá which-is sa in-the chistin kitchen
7.27b Go /ɡə/ PART raibh /ɾˠɛ/ be.SUBJ.PRES maith /mˠa/ good agat /ˈaɡət̪ˠ/ at.2SG Cad /kad̪ˠ/ what atá /əˈt̪ˠaː/ REL.be.PRES sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG chistin /ˈçɪʃtʲɪnʲ/ kitchen.F.SG.LEN
7.28a Tá is bord table mór big inti in-her agus and tá are leabhair books sna in-the seomraí rooms
7.28b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES bord /bˠɔɾˠd̪ˠ/ table.M.SG mór /mˠoːɾˠ/ big inti /ˈɪn̠ʲtʲɪ/ in.3SG.F agus /ˈaɡəsˠ/ and tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES leabhair /ˈlʲaʊɾʲ/ book.PL sna /sˠn̪ˠə/ in-the.PL seomraí /ˈʃoːmˠɾˠiː/ room.PL
7.29a Tá am mé I i in ngrá love leis with an the tír country cheana already féin self
7.29b Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES mé /mʲeː/ I.1SG i /ɪ/ in ngrá /ŋɾˠaː/ love.M.SG.ECL leis /lʲɛʃ/ with an /ən̪ˠ/ the.SG.F tír /tʲiːɾʲ/ country.F.SG cheana /ˈçanˠə/ already.LEN féin /fʲeːnʲ/ self
7.30a Go PART maith good Tá is sé it go PART breá fine sa in-the tír country sa in-the samhradh summer
7.30b Go /ɡə/ PART maith /mˠa/ good Tá /t̪ˠaː/ be.PRES sé /ʃeː/ it.3SG.M go /ɡə/ PART breá /bˠɾˠaː/ fine sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG tír /tʲiːɾʲ/ country.F.SG sa /sˠə/ in-the.SG samhradh /ˈsˠaʊɾˠə/ summer.M.SG
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part B: Natural Text with Idiomatic Translation
7.16 Seán: Dia duit, a Mháire! An bhfuil tú sa bhaile? → “Hello, Máire! Are you at home?”
7.17 Máire: Níl. Tá mé i mBaile Átha Cliath anois. → “No. I’m in Dublin now.”
7.18 Seán: Cén fáth a bhfuil tú i mBaile Átha Cliath? → “Why are you in Dublin?”
7.19 Máire: Tá mé ag obair san ospidéal anois. → “I’m working in the hospital now.”
7.20 Seán: An bhfuil tú sásta san ospidéal? → “Are you happy in the hospital?”
7.21 Máire: Tá mé sásta ann, agus tá cairde agam ann. → “I’m happy there, and I have friends there.”
7.22 Seán: Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí anois? → “Where do you live now?”
7.23 Máire: Tá mé i mo chónaí i nGaillimh. → “I live in Galway.”
7.24 Seán: Tá teach agam sa tír. An bhfuil tú ag teacht ann sa samhradh? → “I have a house in the country. Are you coming there in the summer?”
7.25 Máire: Tá. Beidh mé ann i mí Iúil. → “Yes. I’ll be there in July.”
7.26 Seán: Tá seomra duit sa teach, agus tá leaba mhór ann. → “There’s a room for you in the house, and there’s a big bed in it.”
7.27 Máire: Go raibh maith agat! Cad atá sa chistin? → “Thank you! What’s in the kitchen?”
7.28 Seán: Tá bord mór inti, agus tá leabhair sna seomraí. → “There’s a big table in it, and there are books in the rooms.”
7.29 Máire: Tá mé i ngrá leis an tír cheana féin! → “I’m in love with the country already!”
7.30 Seán: Go maith! Tá sé go breá sa tír sa samhradh. → “Good! It’s lovely in the country in the summer.”
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part C: Text in Irish Only
Glaoch Gutháin
Seán: Dia duit, a Mháire! An bhfuil tú sa bhaile?
Máire: Níl. Tá mé i mBaile Átha Cliath anois.
Seán: Cén fáth a bhfuil tú i mBaile Átha Cliath?
Máire: Tá mé ag obair san ospidéal anois.
Seán: An bhfuil tú sásta san ospidéal?
Máire: Tá mé sásta ann, agus tá cairde agam ann.
Seán: Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí anois?
Máire: Tá mé i mo chónaí i nGaillimh.
Seán: Tá teach agam sa tír. An bhfuil tú ag teacht ann sa samhradh?
Máire: Tá. Beidh mé ann i mí Iúil.
Seán: Tá seomra duit sa teach, agus tá leaba mhór ann.
Máire: Go raibh maith agat! Cad atá sa chistin?
Seán: Tá bord mór inti, agus tá leabhair sna seomraí.
Máire: Tá mé i ngrá leis an tír cheana féin!
Seán: Go maith! Tá sé go breá sa tír sa samhradh.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
Part D: Grammar Notes for the Genre Section
Sa, with lenition: sa bhaile (7.16), sa chistin (7.27), and without it for d, t and masculine s: sa teach (7.26), sa tír (7.24, 7.30), sa samhradh (7.24, 7.30). San before a vowel: san ospidéal (7.19, 7.20). Sna with no mutation: sna seomraí (7.28).
I with eclipsis and no article: i mBaile Átha Cliath (7.17, 7.18), i nGaillimh (7.23), i ngrá (7.29), and i mí Iúil (7.25), where m is not changed.
I mo and i do, with lenition: i do chónaí (7.22), i mo chónaí (7.23). The pair means “living”.
Ann, in two senses. As a prepositional pronoun, “in it”: sásta ann (7.21), “happy in it”, with the hospital as the thing; leaba mhór ann (7.26), “a big bed in it”, with the house. As an adverb, “there”: ag teacht ann (7.24), beidh mé ann (7.25).
Inti, “in her/it” (feminine): bord mór inti (7.28), with cistin.
Agam, at-me, for having: cairde agam (7.21), teach agam (7.24). Duit, to-you, for the receiver (see Lesson 6): seomra duit (7.26).
Leis an tír (7.29): le plus an. “In love with” is i ngrá le: ngrá is eclipsed after i, and le follows.
Cheana féin (7.29), “already”: cheana is lenited, and féin “self” makes it stronger.
Beidh (7.25) is the future of the verb “to be”, the future form of tá. Tá in an answer (7.25) means “yes”: Irish has no word for “yes” and answers with the verb of the question, so an bhfuil tú ag teacht? is answered tá, and níl means “no”.
The vocative: a Mháire (7.16). The particle a lenites the name.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
I /ɪ/, in /ɪn̠ʲ/, sa /sˠə/, san /sˠən̪ˠ/, sna /sˠn̪ˠə/, ann /aun̪ˠ/, inti /ˈɪn̠ʲtʲɪ/: the vowel of i, in, sa and san is short, and these words are not stressed in a sentence. I has no fada.
Fadas: á é í ó ú mark long vowels and can change the word. Never drop a fada: Éirinn, tír, tsráid, páistí, seomraí, oíche, Iúil, ngrá, breá, cónaí, sásta.
I before a consonant, in before a vowel: i nGaillimh, in Éirinn. Sa before a consonant, san before a vowel: sa teach, san ospidéal. Written as one word, never i an.
Eclipsis is shown by a letter written before the original, which is kept: mBaile, nGaillimh, bpian, ngrá, dteach, gcathair, bhfuil. The original letter is not heard. Lenition is shown by an h after the consonant: chistin, bhaile, Mháire, chónaí, mhór, cheana. The t before a feminine s-noun is written without a hyphen after sa: sa tsráid. (After an with a masculine noun it takes a hyphen: an t-airgead, Lesson 6.)
The IPA in this lesson gives the standard dictionary pronunciation, each word said on its own, except for the prepositional pronouns ionam, ionainn, ionaibh and iontu, which are given as recorded in the Aran Islands. The pronunciations of the Gaeltacht dialects differ.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
✓ Lesson 7 Irish Gaelic complete — i (in)
---
Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)