HeyRuaHow to say “dry” in Irish
- Irish:
- tur
- English:
- dry, arid, dull
- Word type:
- adjective
- Drier:
- níos tuire
- Driest:
- is tuire
- Plural:
- tura
- Pronunciation:
- “tur” /t̪ˠʊɾˠ/
What does “tur” mean?
“Tur” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- dry
- Without moisture, or eaten without anything added, like bread with no butter.Also: plain, unbuttered.
2 other meanings: arid or dull
- 2arid
- Very dry, with little or no rain or moisture.Also: parched, dry.
- 3dull
- Dry and uninteresting, without warmth or feeling.Also: dry, bald, uninteresting.
Other Irish adjectives for dry: tirim (dry)
“Tur” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is tur after arán (bread, masculine), after deoch (drink, 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: deoch thur. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: arán tur.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, tura. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: aráin thura; after other plurals it does not: deochanna tura.
Drier, driest, very dry
Tá an t-arán seo níos tuire ná an t-arán inné. This bread is drier than yesterday's bread.
| drier | níos tuire | in the past tense: ní ba thuire |
|---|---|---|
| driest | is tuire | in the past tense: ba thuire |
| as dry as | chomh tur le | no change after chomh |
| very dry | an-tur | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too dry | róthur | ró- lenites |
“Tur” 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.
Dry in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for dry?
The Irish for dry is tur (pronounced “tur”). It comes after the noun: arán tur, dry bread; deoch thur, a dry drink.
How do you say drier and driest in Irish?
níos tuire is drier and is tuire is driest. In the past tense they become ní ba thuire and ba thuire.
Why does tur become thur?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So deoch thur (a dry drink) but arán tur (dry bread), because arán is masculine.
What is the plural of tur?
With a plural noun tur becomes tura: aráin thura, deochanna tura. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very dry in Irish?
an-tur. Too dry is róthur, and as dry as is chomh tur le.
Does tur have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tur can mean dry, arid or dull, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'tur' and 'tirim'?
'Tirim' is the everyday word for dry, as in 'éadaí tirime'. 'Tur' is used especially for plain food with nothing added, as in 'arán tur', and for bare or arid things.
