Word Mutations

In Irish, nouns can mutate depending on certain conditions to make the pronunciation easier.

These mutations can be recognised by either lenition or eclipsis

Lenition can be seen with a séimhiú (h) after the first letter

Eclipsis can be seen with an urú that appears before the first letter of the word

Letters that take a Séimhiú (h) : B C D F G M P S T

bh

ch

dh

fh

gh

mh

ph

sh

º

*When should I use a séimhiú (h) ?

1. When addressing / calling somebody.
e.g.: A Mháire = Mary or Máire     A Sheáin = John or Seán

2. For regular verbs in the past tense,

Example: .	Dún= to close.
	Dhún mé = I closed.	Ar dhún tú? = did you close?	Níor dhún mé = I didn't close.

3. For possession (my, your, his),

Example:	coat = cóta
	Mo chóta = My coat	Do chóta = Your coat	A chóta = His coat

4. When using definite article “an” = the + a feminine noun,

Example: .

Bean = woman

An bhean = the woman.

5. For negative present and future verbs,

Example:	Dún = to close.
	Dúnann sé = he closes.	Dúnfaidh sé = he will close.
	Ní dhúnann sé = he doesn't close.	Ní dhúnfaidh sé = he will not close.

6. Counting things 2-6 take a séimhiú
Example:. turcaí = a turkey. 2 turkeys = dhá thurcaí, 3 turkeys = trí thurcaí, 4 turkeys = ceithre thurcaí

7. After some prepositions - de / do / ó / roimh / mar / faoi / trid / um / ar,
Example: Thug mé leabhar do Chiara = I gave a book to Ciara.

Urú (Eclipsis) “nasalizes” sounds to make the sound of the language flow more freely

mB

gC

nD

dT

nG

bP

bhF

*When should I use a séimhiú (h) ?

1. After some prepositions, especially those using the definite article (an)
Example: Gaillimh = Galway, but, i nGaillimh = in Galway

Bus = Bus Cailín = Girl Banc = Bank Priosún = Prison Farraige = Sea Gáirdín = Garden

Ar an mbus = on the bus. Leis an gcailín = with the girl. Ag an mbanc = at the bank. As an bpriosún = out of prison. ón bhfarraige = from the sea. Chuig an ngáirdín = towards the garden.

2. Possession (our, your plural, their)

Ejemplo:

coat = cóta.

ár gcóta = our coat.

bhur gcóta = your coat.

a gcóta = their coat.

*Her takes neither a séimhiú nor an urú, unless the noun starts with a vowel, in which case, 'her + séimhiú' and 'his + nothing'.
Example: úll = apple   a úll = His apple   a húll = Her apple

With vowels, ours/yours/theirs + n- (Example: ár n-úll = our apple)

3. Counting things 7-10 take an urú,
Example: turcaí = a turkey. seacht dturcaí = 7 turkeys. ocht dturcaí= 8 turkeys. naoi dturcaí = 9 turkeys.

4. Question forms in present and future tenses:

Example:	Dún = to close.
	An ndúnann tú? = Do you close?
	An ndúnfaidh tú? = Will you close?