HeyRuaHow to say “difficult” in Irish
- Irish:
- doiligh
- English:
- difficult, distressing, intractable
- Word type:
- adjective
- More difficult:
- níos doilí
- Most difficult:
- is doilí
- Plural:
- doilí
- Pronunciation:
- “DIL-ig” /ˈd̪ˠɪlʲɪɟ/
What does “doiligh” mean?
“Doiligh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- difficult
- Hard to do, deal with or understand.Also: hard, tough.
“Doiligh” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is doiligh after scrúdú (examination, masculine), after oíche (night, 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: oíche dhoiligh. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: scrúdú doiligh.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, doilí. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: oícheanta doilí.
More difficult, most difficult, very difficult
Tá an obair seo níos doilí ná an obair eile. This work is harder than the other work.
| more difficult | níos doilí | in the past tense: ní ba dhoilí |
|---|---|---|
| most difficult | is doilí | in the past tense: ba dhoilí |
| as difficult as | chomh doiligh le | no change after chomh |
| very difficult | an-doiligh | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too difficult | ródhoiligh | ró- lenites |
“Doiligh” 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.
Difficult in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for difficult?
The Irish for difficult is doiligh (pronounced “DIL-ig”). It comes after the noun: scrúdú doiligh, a difficult examination; oíche dhoiligh, a difficult night.
How do you say more difficult and most difficult in Irish?
níos doilí is more difficult and is doilí is most difficult. In the past tense they become ní ba dhoilí and ba dhoilí.
Why does doiligh become dhoiligh?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So oíche dhoiligh (a difficult night) but scrúdú doiligh (a difficult examination), because scrúdú is masculine.
What is the plural of doiligh?
With a plural noun doiligh becomes doilí: scrúduithe doilí, oícheanta doilí.
How do you say very difficult in Irish?
an-doiligh. Too difficult is ródhoiligh, and as difficult as is chomh doiligh le.
Does doiligh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Doiligh can mean difficult, distressing or intractable, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How is doiligh different from deacair?
Both mean difficult, but deacair is the everyday word, while doiligh is more literary and common in Ulster Irish, as in "Is doiligh a rá".
