Prepositions
Voorzetsels
The most commonly used prepositions in Irish:
| Ag = at | Ar = on | As = out of | Chuig = towards / forward |
| De = off / of | Do = to / for | Le = with | I = in | Ó = from | Trí = through |
| Idir = between | Faoi = about / under | Roimh = before / in front of | Thar = over |
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AG = AT Agam (“at me”) Agat (“at you” – singular) Aige (“at him”) Aici (“at her”) Againn (“at us”) Agaibh (“at you” – plural) Acu (“at them”) |
DE = OFF/OF Díom (“off/of me”) Díot (“off/of you” – singular) De (“off/of him”) Di (“off/of her”) Dínn (“off/of us”) Díbh (“off/of you” – plural) Díobh (“off/of them”) |
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AR = ON Orm (“on me”) Ort (“on you” – singular) Air (“on him”) Uirthi (“on her”) Orainn (“on us”) Oraibh (“on you” – plural) Orthu (“on them”) |
DO = TO/FOR Dom (“to/for me”) Duit (“to/for you” – singular) Dó (“to/for him”) Di (“to/for her”) Dúinn (“to/for us”) Daoibh (“to/for you” – plural) Dóibh (“to/for them”) |
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AS = OUT OF Asam (“out of me”) Asat (“out of you” – singular) As (“out of him”) Aisti (“out of her”) Asainn(“out of us”) Asaibh (“out of you” – plural) Astu (“out of them”) |
FAOI = ABOUT/UNDER Fúm (“about/under me&r;) Fút (“about/under you” – singular) Faoi (“about/under him”) Fúithi (“about/under her”) Fúinn (“about/under us”) Fúibh (“about/under you” – plural) Fúthú (“about/under them”) |
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CHUIG = TOWARDS Chugam (“towards me”) Chugat (“towards you” – singular) Chuige (“towards him”) Chuici (“towards her”) Chugainn (“towards us”) Chugaibh (“towards you” – plural) Chucu (“towards them”) |
I = IN Ionam (“in me”) Ionat (“in you” – singular) Ann (“in him”) Inti (“in her”) Ionainn (“in us”) Ionaibh (“in you” – plural) Iontu (“in them”) |
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IDIR = BETWEEN -(“between me”) -(“between you” – singular) -(“between him”) -(“between her”) Eadrainn (“between us”) Eadraibh (“between you” – plural) Eatharthu (“between them”) |
ROIMH = BEFORE Romham (“before me”) Romhat (“before you” – singular) Roimhe (“before him”) Roimpi (“before her”) Romhainn (“before us”) Romhaibh (“before you” – plural) Rompu (“before them”) |
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LE = WITH Liom (“with me”) Leat (“with you” – singular) Leis (“with him”) Léi (“with her”) Linn (“with us”) Libh (“with you” – plural) Leo (“with them”) |
THAR = OVER Tharam (“over me”) Tharat (“over you” – singular) Thairis (“over him”) Thairsti (“over her”) Tharainn (“over us”) Tharaibh (“over you” – plural) Tharstu (“over them”) |
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Ó = FROM Uaim (“from me”) Uait (“from you” – singular) Uaidh (“from him”) Uaithi (“from her”) Uainn (“from us”) Uaibh (“from you” – plural) Uathu (“from them”) |
TRÍ = THROUGH Tríom (“through me”) Tríot (“through you” – singular) Tríd (“through him”) Tríthi (“through her”) Trínn (“through us”) Tríbh (“through you” – plural) Tríothu (“through them”) |
Irish is full of prepositions. Look at these examples:
| ar : | Tá cóta orm | = 'I'm wearing a coat' (literally 'There is a coat on me') |
| le : | Tá cóta liom | = 'I have a coat with me' (literally 'There is a coat with me') |
| ó : | Tá cóta uaim | = 'I need a coat' (literally 'There is a coat from me') |
| ag : | Tá cóta agam | = 'I have a coat' (literally 'There is a coat at me') |
| faoi : | Tá cóta fúm | = 'There is a coat under me' / 'I am sitting on a coat' |
| i : | Tá cóta ionam | = 'There is a coat in me/ I have the ability to make a coat' |
In Irish we also use the preposition 'ar' to say how we feel
Literally: Happiness is on me - Sadness is on you - Anger is on him ...
Tá áthas orm - Tá brón ort - Tá fearg air - Tá uaigneas uirthi - Tá díoma orthu
Prepositions that go with verbs
| Abair le | tell | Abair liom! - Tell me! |
| Aontaigh le | agree with | Aontaím leat - I agree with you |
| Bain as | extract | Bain taitneamh as an gcóisir - Enjoy the party |
| Bain de | take off | Bhain mé mo bhróga díom - I took my shoes off me |
| Bain le | associate with | Baineann an teanga leis an gcultúr - The language is associated with the culture |
| Beirar | grab | Rug méar an mbuidéal bainne - I grabbed the milk bottle |
| Breathnaigh ar | watch | Bhreathnaigh méar an teilifís - I watched TV |
| Buail le | meet | Buailfidh mé le mo chairde - I will meet my friends |
| Cabhraigh le | help | Cabhraigh liom! Help me! |
| Cuimhnigh ar | remember | Cuimhnigí ar bhur n-obair bhaile! Remember your homework! |
| Cuir glaoch/fios ar | call / phone / inform | Cuir fios ar na Gardaí - Call the guards |
| Cuirceist ar | ask | Chuir sé ceist uirthi - He asked her a question |
| Déan dearmad ar | forget | Rinne mé dearmad ar m’eochracha - I forgot my keys |
| Déan staidéar ar | study | Déanaim staidéar ar Ghaeilge - I study Irish |
| Éirigh as | retire/give up | D’éirigh sí as a hobair - She gave up/retired from her job |
| Éirigh le | succeed | D’éirigh mé go maith sna scrúdaithe - I got on well at the exams |
| Éist le | listen to | D’éist mé le mo mhúinteoir - I listened to my teacher |
| Féachar | look at | Féach ar an mbileog - Look at the worksheet |
| Fiafraigh de | enquire/ask | D’fhiafraigh mé de - I asked him |
| Fill ar | return to | D’fhill mé ar mo theach - I returned to my house |
| Freastailar | attend | D’fhreastail mé ar ollscoil i Sasana - I attended university in England |
| Glac le | accept | Glacaim leis an mbronntanas - I accept the present |
| Imigh le | go away | Imigh leat! Away with you! |
| Imigh ó | leave from | D’imigh an rothar ó smacht - The bike lost control |
| Imir le | play against | Bhí an fhoireann ag imirt le foireann eile - The team was playing against another team |
| Inis do | tell sb | Inis dom an scéal - Tell me a story |
| Íoc / díol as | cough up | D’íoc mé as mo bhia - I paid for my food |
| Labhair le | talk to | Labhair liom ar feadh nóiméid - Talk to me for a minute |
| Lean ar | continue | Lean ar do scéal - Continue with your story |
| Sciob de | snatch from | Rud a sciobadh de bhord - Snatch something off the table |
| Seol do | send to | Seol litir chuig do dheartháir - Send a letter to your brother |
| Tabhair faoi | embark on | Bhí mé ar bís tabhairt faoin ‘oilithreacht - I was excited to embark on the pilgrimage |
| Tabhair cuairt ar | visit | Tabhair cuairtar do mháthair - Visit your mother |
| Tabhair do | give to | Tabhair cupán tae di - Give her a cup of tea |
| Tar ar | arrive at | Teachtar an láthair - arrive at the scene |
| Taispeáin do | show to | Taispeáin do chuid páipéar dó - Show him your papers |
| Tit de | fall from | Titim de scafall - I fall from scaffolding |
| Tóg de | take from | Súil a thógáil de rud - Take a look at something |
Expressions with prepositions
| Aithneagamar | have recognition of |
| Cleas a imirtar | play a trick on |
| Éileamhar | demand for |
| Fonn a bheithar | have a desire to |
| Fulangach ar | tolerant of |
| Gafa le | obsessed with |
| Gearán a dhéanamh faoi | complain about |
| Díoltasaimirt ar dhuin | get revenge on sb |
| I nGrá le | in love with |
| Go raibhmaithagat as | thank you for |
| Grá a thabhairt do dhuine | give love to sb |
| Greima bhreith/fháil ar rud | grab a hold of sth |
| Greim a bhaint as rud | bite sth |
| I ngreim ag an eagla | gripped with fear |
| Iarracht a thabhairt ar rud a dhéanamh | putting in effort to do sth |
| Ag súil le | looking forward to |
| Bródúil as | proud of |
| Buíoch de | grateful for |
| Ligbéic as | let a shout out |
| Teastáil ó | miss / need |