HeyRuaHow to say “early” in Irish
- Irish:
- moch
- English:
- early
- Word type:
- adjective
- Earlier:
- níos moiche
- Earliest:
- is moiche
- Plural:
- mocha
- Pronunciation:
- “muhkh” /mˠʊx/
What does “moch” mean?
- early
- Happening or done at an early hour, especially early in the morning.Also: early in the morning, at dawn, matutinal.
Other Irish adjectives for early: luath (early)
“Moch” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is moch after dinnéar (dinner, masculine), after maidin (morning, 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: maidin mhoch. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: dinnéar moch.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, mocha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: dinnéir mhocha; after other plurals it does not: maidineacha mocha.
Earlier, earliest, very early
D'éirigh sí níos moiche ná mise inniu. She got up earlier than me today.
| earlier | níos moiche | in the past tense: ní ba mhoiche |
|---|---|---|
| earliest | is moiche | in the past tense: ba mhoiche |
| as early as | chomh moch le | no change after chomh |
| very early | an-mhoch | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too early | rómhoch | ró- lenites |
“Moch” 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.
Early in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for early?
The Irish for early is moch (pronounced “muhkh”). It comes after the noun: dinnéar moch, an early dinner; maidin mhoch, an early morning.
How do you say earlier and earliest in Irish?
níos moiche is earlier and is moiche is earliest. In the past tense they become ní ba mhoiche and ba mhoiche.
Why does moch become mhoch?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So maidin mhoch (an early morning) but dinnéar moch (an early dinner), because dinnéar is masculine.
What is the plural of moch?
With a plural noun moch becomes mocha: dinnéir mhocha, maidineacha mocha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very early in Irish?
an-mhoch. Too early is rómhoch, and as early as is chomh moch le.
What is the difference between 'moch' and 'luath'?
'Luath' is the general word for early, while 'moch' is used especially of the early morning, as in 'go moch ar maidin'. Both can often be used, but 'moch' sounds more about dawn and rising early.
