HeyRuaHow to say “curly” in Irish
- Irish:
- búclach
- English:
- curly, buckled
- Word type:
- adjective
- Curlier:
- níos búclaí
- Curliest:
- is búclaí
- Plural:
- búclacha
- Pronunciation:
- “BOO-klukh” /ˈbuːkləx/
What does “búclach” mean?
“Búclach” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- curly
- Having curls or ringlets, especially of hair.Also: ringleted, in ringlets, wavy.
1 other meaning: buckled
- 2buckled
- Fitted with buckles or fastened with a buckle.Also: having buckles.
Other Irish adjectives for curly: catach (curly)
“Búclach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is búclach after gasúr (boy, 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 bhúclach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: gasúr búclach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, búclacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: gasúir bhúclacha; after other plurals it does not: mná búclacha.
Curlier, curliest, very curly
Tá a cuid gruaige níos búclaí ná mo chuidse. Her hair is curlier than mine.
| curlier | níos búclaí | in the past tense: ní ba bhúclaí |
|---|---|---|
| curliest | is búclaí | in the past tense: ba bhúclaí |
| as curly as | chomh búclach le | no change after chomh |
| very curly | an-bhúclach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too curly | róbhúclach | ró- lenites |
“Búclach” 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.
Curly in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for curly?
The Irish for curly is búclach (pronounced “BOO-klukh”). It comes after the noun: gasúr búclach, a curly boy; bean bhúclach, a curly woman.
How do you say curlier and curliest in Irish?
níos búclaí is curlier and is búclaí is curliest. In the past tense they become ní ba bhúclaí and ba bhúclaí.
Why does búclach become bhúclach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean bhúclach (a curly woman) but gasúr búclach (a curly boy), because gasúr is masculine.
What is the plural of búclach?
With a plural noun búclach becomes búclacha: gasúir bhúclacha, mná búclacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very curly in Irish?
an-bhúclach. Too curly is róbhúclach, and as curly as is chomh búclach le.
Does búclach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Búclach can mean curly or buckled, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'búclach' and 'catach'?
Both describe curly hair; 'catach' is the more everyday word, while 'búclach' suggests ringlets or loose curls, from 'búcla', a curl or buckle.
