HeyRuaHow to say “English” in Irish
- Irish:
- Sasanach
- English:
- English
- Word type:
- adjective
- More English:
- níos Sasanaí
- Most English:
- is Sasanaí
- Plural:
- Sasanacha
- Pronunciation:
- “SASS-a-nukh” /ˈsˠasˠənˠəx/
What does “Sasanach” mean?
- English
- Coming from England or belonging to England or its people.Also: from England, British.
The same spelling has its own page as:
“Sasanach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is Sasanach after fear (man, masculine), after girseach (girl, 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: girseach Shasanach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear Sasanach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, Sasanacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir Shasanacha; after other plurals it does not: girseacha Sasanacha.
More English, most English, very English
| more English | níos Sasanaí | in the past tense: ní ba Shasanaí |
|---|---|---|
| most English | is Sasanaí | in the past tense: ba Shasanaí |
| as English as | chomh Sasanach le | no change after chomh |
| very English | an-Sasanach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too English | ró-Shasanach | ró- lenites |
“Sasanach” 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.
English in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for English?
The Irish for English is Sasanach (pronounced “SASS-a-nukh”). It comes after the noun: fear Sasanach, an English man; girseach Shasanach, an English girl.
How do you say more English and most English in Irish?
níos Sasanaí is more English and is Sasanaí is most English. In the past tense they become ní ba Shasanaí and ba Shasanaí.
Why does Sasanach become Shasanach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So girseach Shasanach (an English girl) but fear Sasanach (an English man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of Sasanach?
With a plural noun Sasanach becomes Sasanacha: fir Shasanacha, girseacha Sasanacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very English in Irish?
an-Sasanach. Too English is ró-Shasanach, and as English as is chomh Sasanach le.
What is the difference between 'Sasanach' and 'Béarla'?
'Sasanach' describes a person or thing from England, while the English language is 'Béarla', so 'leabhar Béarla' is an English language book.
Is 'Sasanach' also a noun?
Yes, 'Sasanach' is also the noun for an English person, as in 'An Sasanach thú?', meaning 'Are you English?'.
