ALT ROIMH AINMFHOCAL All nouns in Gaeilge are either masculine or feminine. There are no neutral nouns. The gender of nouns is important. There are some rules of thumb which can help you decide whether a noun is masculine or feminine, but it’s a good idea to learn a new noun along with its gender. Gender of nouns is not always very logical – cailín (girl) is a masculine noun, stail (stallion) is feminine. In general, names of continents, countries, languages and rivers are mostly feminine. 1. Gaeilge has no indefinite article (a). Bord means ‘table’ or ‘a table’, while ‘cathaoir’ means ‘chair’ or ‘a chair’.
2. The definite article (the) has a singular and plural form an / na An bord na boird
-
the table the tables
an chathaoir - the chair na cathaoireacha - the chairs
3. Gaeilge doesn’t have a word for “it”: everything is either
é / í “he” or “she”
It’s (the weather) cold - Tá sí (an aimsir) fuar It’s (the day) cold . - Tá sé (an lá ) fuar. It’s a cat
- Is cat é
It’s a mouse – Is luch í.
4. The beginning of nouns can also change through either a séimhiú or an urú, depending on how the nouns are used. Definite Article The sound and spelling of a noun can change after an depending on the gender of the noun and whether it begins with a consonant / vowel or the letter s. Due to the changes that nouns can undergo in Gaeilge, it can be a little difficult to get used to at the beginning. This section aims to explain how nouns are used and what changes are needed, and this should help learners become more confident and comfortable using nouns in their everyday conversations.
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An tAlt - alt roimh ghuta. The definite article before vowels. Nouns beginning with a vowel “t-” is added to masculine nouns ainm
(a) name
an t-ainm
the name
aer
air
an t-aer
the air
amadán
(a) fool
an t-amadán
the fool
iontas
(a) wonder
an t-iontas
the wonder
ól
(a) drind
an t-ól
the drink
aois
(an) age
an aois
the age
uair
(a) time
an uair
the time
áit
(a) place
an áit
the place
an t-anraith
an ubh
an t-iasc
an abhainn
an t-anlann
an t-arán
an t-oileán
an t-uisce
an t-úll
an eochair
an aimsir
an t-éan
an t-eas
an obair
an t-urlár
an oíche
an t-asal
an oifig
an uimhir
an t-airgead
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An tAlt - alt roimh chonsain. The definite article before consonants. Nouns beginning with a consonant Masculine nouns beginning with a consonant remain unchanged after an buachaill
a boy
an buachaill
the boy
fear
a man
an fear
the man
teach
a house
an teach
the house
A séimhiú (h) is added to feminine nouns after an (only if possible – no séimhiú if the first letter is n for example). Exceptions are nouns beginning with the letters d or t bean
a woman
an bhean
the woman
maidin
a morning
an mhaidin
the morning
fiacail
a tooth
an fhiacail
the tooth
bliain
a year
an bhliain
the year
cloch
a stone
an chloch
the stone
Nouns beginning with the letters d or t remain unchanged tír
a country
an tír
the country
duais
a prize
an duais
the prize
an bhróg
an chathaoir
an fharraige
an ghealach
an fheadóg
an ghaoth
an chistin
an bháisteach
an fhuinneog
an bhrionglóid
an duilleog
an duais
an tír
an trá
an pháirc
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An tAlt - alt roimh S The definite article before S Masculine nouns beginning with the letter ‘s’ remain unchanged after an solas
a light
an solas
the light
siopa
a shop
an siopa
the shop
The letter t is placed before feminine nouns which beginning with: s+ vowel
sl+ vowel
sn+ vowel
sr+ vowel
súil
an eye
an tsúil
the eye
sráid
a street
an tsráid
the street
srón
a nose
an tsrón
the nose
slí
a way
an tslí
the way
síleáil
a ceiling
an tsíleáil
the ceiling
seilf
a shelf
an tseilf
the shelf
seafóid
nonsence
an tseafóid
the nonsence
saoirse
freedom
an tsaoirse
the freedom
seoid
a jewel
an tseoid
the jewel
an tsubh
an scoil
an staighre
an seomra
an tsnáthaid
an tSín
an tSeapáin
an siopa
an tslí
an tsúil
an spéir
an stoirm
an sliabh
an solas
an sreangán
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Alt Roimh Ainmfhocal
tine an
brionglóid an
an
gaoth an
doras an tír an feoil an uisce an bliain an slí an urlár an cóta an solas an stopaire an
stoirm an
cloigín an
braon an
póg an
comhartha an
sliabh an
súil an
sláinte an
bóthar an
ubh an
úll an
domhan an
gruaig an
oíche an
siopa an
sreangán an
liathróid an
eas an
anlann an
cáis
spéir an
sionnach an
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iora rua an
Alt Roimh Ainmfhocal
obair
cathaoir an
an asal
an crann
an
an
an
an
an
an lasc an
an
an
an
an biorrán
an
Sín an
oileán an
feadóg
fuinneog an
Seapáin an
an
cistin
farraige
abhainn an
eochair
slabhra
seomra
anraith an
báisteach
iasc an
an
an
an
duilleog
aimsir
páirc an
scoil an
airgead an
duais
arán
fadhb an
staighre
bróg
éan an
gealach
an
trá an
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