Irish Gender
Welcome to the fifth Irish lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Irish to help you practice your daily phrases.
man  fear | woman bean | husband fear chéile | wife bean chéile |
boy buachaill | girl cailín | father athair | mother máthair |
Gender Grammar Rules
In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.
| Grammar + Rules | Irish |
|---|---|
| my son is a student [masculine + noun] | ismac léinn é mo mhac |
| her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] | is mac léinn í a hiníon |
| he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] | tá deartháir ard aige |
| she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] | tá deirfiúr ard aici |
| his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] | tá a chuid deartháireacha óg |
| his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] | tá a chuid deirfiúracha óg |
The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.
son mac | daughter iníon | brother deartháir | sister deirfiúr | grandfather seanathair | grandmother seanmháthair | child leanbh | children leanaí |
Expressions in Irish
Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Irish, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.
| English | Irish |
|---|---|
| What do you mean? | cad a chiallaíonn tú? |
| I don't understand | ní thuigim! |
| I don't know | níl a fhios agam! |
| What is that called in Irish? | cad é an ghaeilge atá ar sin? |
| What is this? | céard é seo? |
| What does that word mean in English? | céard a chiallaíonn an focal sin i mbéarla? |
| Sorry (if you made a mistake) | tá brón orm! |
I hope you enjoyed this lesson about the gender in Irish. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Irish Numbers |
Inspirational Quote: High achievement always takes place in a framework of high expectation. Jack Kinder |