HeyRuaHow to say “cheerful” in Irish
- Irish:
- soirbh
- English:
- cheerful, easy
- Word type:
- adjective
- More cheerful:
- níos soirbhe
- Most cheerful:
- is soirbhe
- Plural:
- soirbhe
- Pronunciation:
- “sir-iv” /sˠɛɾʲəvʲ/
What does “soirbh” mean?
“Soirbh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- cheerful
- Pleasant, good-humoured and easy to get on with.Also: pleasant, good-natured, affable, genial.
1 other meaning: easy
- 2easy
- Easy or favourable, not difficult to deal with.Also: favourable, prosperous, propitious.
Other Irish adjectives for cheerful: gealgháireach (cheerful), spleodrach (exuberant), soilbhir (cheerful)
“Soirbh” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is soirbh after fear (man, masculine), after girseach (girl, 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: girseach shoirbh. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear soirbh.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, soirbhe. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir shoirbhe; after other plurals it does not: girseacha soirbhe.
More cheerful, most cheerful, very cheerful
Tá Máire níos soirbhe ná a deartháir. Máire is more good-natured than her brother.
| more cheerful | níos soirbhe | in the past tense: ní ba shoirbhe |
|---|---|---|
| most cheerful | is soirbhe | in the past tense: ba shoirbhe |
| as cheerful as | chomh soirbh le | no change after chomh |
| very cheerful | an-soirbh | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too cheerful | róshoirbh | ró- lenites |
“Soirbh” 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.
Cheerful in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for cheerful?
The Irish for cheerful is soirbh (pronounced “sir-iv”). It comes after the noun: fear soirbh, a cheerful man; girseach shoirbh, a cheerful girl.
How do you say more cheerful and most cheerful in Irish?
níos soirbhe is more cheerful and is soirbhe is most cheerful. In the past tense they become ní ba shoirbhe and ba shoirbhe.
Why does soirbh become shoirbh?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So girseach shoirbh (a cheerful girl) but fear soirbh (a cheerful man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of soirbh?
With a plural noun soirbh becomes soirbhe: fir shoirbhe, girseacha soirbhe. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very cheerful in Irish?
an-soirbh. Too cheerful is róshoirbh, and as cheerful as is chomh soirbh le.
Does soirbh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Soirbh can mean cheerful or easy, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of soirbh?
The opposite is doirbh, meaning gloomy, surly or difficult; the noun soirbhíochas means optimism, and doirbhíochas means pessimism.
Is soirbh the same as soilbhir?
They are close: soilbhir means merry or cheerful, while soirbh stresses being pleasant and easy to deal with.
