HeyRuaHow to say “cardinal” in Irish
- Irish:
- cairdinéalta
- English:
- cardinal
- Word type:
- adjective
- More cardinal:
- níos cairdinéalta
- Most cardinal:
- is cairdinéalta
- Pronunciation:
- “KAR-jin-ail-ta” /ˈkaɾʲdʲɪnʲeːl̪ˠt̪ˠə/
What does “cairdinéalta” mean?
- cardinal
- Of chief or basic importance; also used of numbers that express quantity (one, two, three) and of the main compass points.Also: principal, fundamental, chief.
“Cairdinéalta” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is cairdinéalta after pointe (point, masculine), after uimhir (number, feminine) and after a plural.
séimhiú (the h) the ending
After a feminine noun the adjective gets a séimhiú, an h after its first letter: uimhir chairdinéalta. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: pointe cairdinéalta.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, cairdinéalta. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: uimhreacha cairdinéalta.
More cardinal, most cardinal, very cardinal
Níl aon rud níos cairdinéalta ná an fhírinne. Nothing is more fundamental than the truth.
| more cardinal | níos cairdinéalta | in the past tense: ní ba chairdinéalta |
|---|---|---|
| most cardinal | is cairdinéalta | in the past tense: ba chairdinéalta |
| as cardinal as | chomh cairdinéalta le | no change after chomh |
| very cardinal | an-chairdinéalta | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too cardinal | róchairdinéalta | ró- lenites |
“Cairdinéalta” in a sentence: Irish examples
With a masculine noun, a feminine noun, a plural, a comparison and on its own.
Other adjectives in Irish
More everyday Irish adjectives to learn next.
Cardinal in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for cardinal?
The Irish for cardinal is cairdinéalta (pronounced “KAR-jin-ail-ta”). It comes after the noun: pointe cairdinéalta, a cardinal point; uimhir chairdinéalta, a cardinal number.
How do you say more cardinal and most cardinal in Irish?
níos cairdinéalta is more cardinal and is cairdinéalta is most cardinal. In the past tense they become ní ba chairdinéalta and ba chairdinéalta.
Why does cairdinéalta become chairdinéalta?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So uimhir chairdinéalta (a cardinal number) but pointe cairdinéalta (a cardinal point), because pointe is masculine.
How do you say very cardinal in Irish?
an-chairdinéalta. Too cardinal is róchairdinéalta, and as cardinal as is chomh cairdinéalta le.
Is 'cairdinéalta' related to 'cairdinéal'?
Yes, both come from Latin cardinalis, but 'cairdinéal' is the noun for a church cardinal, while 'cairdinéalta' is the adjective meaning cardinal or fundamental, as in 'uimhir chairdinéalta'.
