HeyRuaHow to say “Christian” in Irish
- Irish:
- Críostúil
- English:
- Christian, pious
- Word type:
- adjective
- More Christian:
- níos Críostúla
- Most Christian:
- is Críostúla
- Plural:
- Críostúla
- Pronunciation:
- “KREES-tool” /ˈkɾʲiːsˠt̪ˠuːlʲ/
What does “Críostúil” mean?
“Críostúil” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- Christian
- Behaving in a kind, decent way, as a good Christian should.Also: charitable, kind, decent, humane.
1 other meaning: pious
- 2pious
- Devout and virtuous in religious practice.Also: devout, virtuous, godly.
“Críostúil” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is Críostúil after fear (man, masculine), after bean (woman, 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: bean Chríostúil. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear Críostúil.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, Críostúla. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir Chríostúla; after other plurals it does not: mná Críostúla.
More Christian, most Christian, very Christian
Tá sí níos Críostúla ná a deartháir. She is more charitable than her brother.
| more Christian | níos Críostúla | in the past tense: ní ba Chríostúla |
|---|---|---|
| most Christian | is Críostúla | in the past tense: ba Chríostúla |
| as Christian as | chomh Críostúil le | no change after chomh |
| very Christian | an-Chríostúil | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too Christian | ró-Chríostúil | ró- lenites |
“Críostúil” 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.
Christian in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for Christian?
The Irish for Christian is Críostúil (pronounced “KREES-tool”). It comes after the noun: fear Críostúil, a Christian man; bean Chríostúil, a Christian woman.
How do you say more Christian and most Christian in Irish?
níos Críostúla is more Christian and is Críostúla is most Christian. In the past tense they become ní ba Chríostúla and ba Chríostúla.
Why does Críostúil become Chríostúil?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean Chríostúil (a Christian woman) but fear Críostúil (a Christian man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of Críostúil?
With a plural noun Críostúil becomes Críostúla: fir Chríostúla, mná Críostúla. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very Christian in Irish?
an-Chríostúil. Too Christian is ró-Chríostúil, and as Christian as is chomh Críostúil le.
Does Críostúil have more than one meaning?
Yes. Críostúil can mean Christian or pious, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between Críostúil and Críostaí?
Críostaí is mainly a noun meaning 'a Christian' (also used for 'Christian' as in religion), while Críostúil describes kind, decent behaviour, as in duine Críostúil, 'a decent person'.
