HeyRuaHow to say “elderly” in Irish
- Irish:
- cnagaosta
- English:
- elderly
- Word type:
- adjective
- More elderly:
- níos cnagaosta
- Most elderly:
- is cnagaosta
- Pronunciation:
- “KRUG-ees-ta” /ˈkɾɑɡiːst̪ˠə/
What does “cnagaosta” mean?
- elderly
- Getting on in years, past middle age but not yet very old.Also: advanced in years, oldish, middle-aged, getting on.
Other Irish adjectives for elderly: breacaosta (middle-aged), bunaosta (elderly), scothaosta (elderly)
“Cnagaosta” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is cnagaosta 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 chnagaosta. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear cnagaosta.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, cnagaosta. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir chnagaosta; after other plurals it does not: mná cnagaosta.
More elderly, most elderly, very elderly
Tá a dheartháir níos cnagaosta ná é. His brother is older than him.
| more elderly | níos cnagaosta | in the past tense: ní ba chnagaosta |
|---|---|---|
| most elderly | is cnagaosta | in the past tense: ba chnagaosta |
| as elderly as | chomh cnagaosta le | no change after chomh |
| very elderly | an-chnagaosta | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too elderly | róchnagaosta | ró- lenites |
“Cnagaosta” 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.
Elderly in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for elderly?
The Irish for elderly is cnagaosta (pronounced “KRUG-ees-ta”). It comes after the noun: fear cnagaosta, an elderly man; bean chnagaosta, an elderly woman.
How do you say more elderly and most elderly in Irish?
níos cnagaosta is more elderly and is cnagaosta is most elderly. In the past tense they become ní ba chnagaosta and ba chnagaosta.
Why does cnagaosta become chnagaosta?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean chnagaosta (an elderly woman) but fear cnagaosta (an elderly man), because fear is masculine.
How do you say very elderly in Irish?
an-chnagaosta. Too elderly is róchnagaosta, and as elderly as is chomh cnagaosta le.
How is 'cnagaosta' different from 'aosta'?
'Aosta' means old or aged, while 'cnagaosta' suggests someone getting on in years, elderly but not extremely old.
