HeyRuaHow to say “foolish” in Irish
- Irish:
- beagchéillí
- English:
- foolish
- Word type:
- adjective
- More foolish:
- níos beagchéillí
- Most foolish:
- is beagchéillí
- Pronunciation:
- “BYOG-khay-lee” /ˈbʲɔɡˌçeːlʲiː/
What does “beagchéillí” mean?
- foolish
- Having or showing little sense or good judgement.Also: silly, senseless, unwise, feather-brained.
Other Irish adjectives for foolish: seafóideach (silly), amaideach (foolish), díchéillí (senseless), amadánta (foolish)
“Beagchéillí” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is beagchéillí after buachaill (boy, 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 bheagchéillí. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: buachaill beagchéillí.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, beagchéillí. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: mná beagchéillí.
More foolish, most foolish, very foolish
Bhí sé níos beagchéillí ná a dheartháir. He was more foolish than his brother.
| more foolish | níos beagchéillí | in the past tense: ní ba bheagchéillí |
|---|---|---|
| most foolish | is beagchéillí | in the past tense: ba bheagchéillí |
| as foolish as | chomh beagchéillí le | no change after chomh |
| very foolish | an-bheagchéillí | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too foolish | róbheagchéillí | ró- lenites |
“Beagchéillí” 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.
Foolish in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for foolish?
The Irish for foolish is beagchéillí (pronounced “BYOG-khay-lee”). It comes after the noun: buachaill beagchéillí, a foolish boy; bean bheagchéillí, a foolish woman.
How do you say more foolish and most foolish in Irish?
níos beagchéillí is more foolish and is beagchéillí is most foolish. In the past tense they become ní ba bheagchéillí and ba bheagchéillí.
Why does beagchéillí become bheagchéillí?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean bheagchéillí (a foolish woman) but buachaill beagchéillí (a foolish boy), because buachaill is masculine.
How do you say very foolish in Irish?
an-bheagchéillí. Too foolish is róbheagchéillí, and as foolish as is chomh beagchéillí le.
How is 'beagchéillí' different from 'amaideach'?
Both mean foolish, but 'beagchéillí' literally means having little sense (beag + ciall), while 'amaideach' is the more everyday word for silly.
