HeyRuaHow to say “expensive” in Irish
- Irish:
- daor
- English:
- expensive, hard, unfree
- Word type:
- adjective
- More expensive:
- níos daoire
- Most expensive:
- is daoire
- Plural:
- daora
- Pronunciation:
- “deer” /d̪ˠiːɾˠ/
What does “daor” mean?
“Daor” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- expensive
- Costing a lot of money.Also: dear, costly, high-priced, pricey.
2 other meanings: hard or unfree
- 2hard
- Costly in effort or suffering; harsh or severe.Also: severe, costly, harsh.
- 3unfree
- Not free; enslaved, base or servile.Also: servile, base, enslaved.
Other Irish adjectives for expensive: costasach (expensive)
“Daor” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is daor after carr (car, 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 dhaor. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: carr daor.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, daora. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: girseacha daora.
More expensive, most expensive, very expensive
Tá an t-arán níos daoire anois. Bread is more expensive now.
| more expensive | níos daoire | in the past tense: ní ba dhaoire |
|---|---|---|
| most expensive | is daoire | in the past tense: ba dhaoire |
| as expensive as | chomh daor le | no change after chomh |
| very expensive | an-daor | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too expensive | ródhaor | ró- lenites |
“Daor” 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.
Expensive in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for expensive?
The Irish for expensive is daor (pronounced “deer”). It comes after the noun: carr daor, an expensive car; girseach dhaor, an expensive girl.
How do you say more expensive and most expensive in Irish?
níos daoire is more expensive and is daoire is most expensive. In the past tense they become ní ba dhaoire and ba dhaoire.
Why does daor become dhaor?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So girseach dhaor (an expensive girl) but carr daor (an expensive car), because carr is masculine.
What is the plural of daor?
With a plural noun daor becomes daora: carranna daora, girseacha daora.
How do you say very expensive in Irish?
an-daor. Too expensive is ródhaor, and as expensive as is chomh daor le.
Does daor have more than one meaning?
Yes. Daor can mean expensive, hard or unfree, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of daor?
The opposite is saor, meaning cheap or free: Tá sé saor means 'It is cheap'.
Is there another word for expensive?
Yes, costasach also means expensive or costly, but daor is the most common everyday word.
