HeyRuaHow to say “fortunate” in Irish
- Irish:
- fortúnach
- English:
- fortunate
- Word type:
- adjective
- More fortunate:
- níos fortúnaí
- Most fortunate:
- is fortúnaí
- Plural:
- fortúnacha
- Pronunciation:
- “FOR-too-nukh” /ˈfˠɔɾˠtˠuːnˠəx/
What does “fortúnach” mean?
- fortunate
- Having good luck or fortune.Also: lucky, providential.
Other Irish adjectives for fortunate: ádhúil (lucky), ámharach (lucky), seansúil (lucky)
“Fortúnach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is fortúnach 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 fhortúnach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear fortúnach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, fortúnacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir fhortúnacha; after other plurals it does not: mná fortúnacha.
More fortunate, most fortunate, very fortunate
Bhí sise níos fortúnaí ná a deartháir. She was more fortunate than her brother.
| more fortunate | níos fortúnaí | in the past tense: ní b'fhortúnaí |
|---|---|---|
| most fortunate | is fortúnaí | in the past tense: ab fhortúnaí |
| as fortunate as | chomh fortúnach le | no change after chomh |
| very fortunate | an-fhortúnach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too fortunate | rófhortúnach | ró- lenites |
“Fortúnach” 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.
Fortunate in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for fortunate?
The Irish for fortunate is fortúnach (pronounced “FOR-too-nukh”). It comes after the noun: fear fortúnach, a fortunate man; bean fhortúnach, a fortunate woman.
How do you say more fortunate and most fortunate in Irish?
níos fortúnaí is more fortunate and is fortúnaí is most fortunate. In the past tense they become ní b'fhortúnaí and ab fhortúnaí.
Why does fortúnach become fhortúnach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean fhortúnach (a fortunate woman) but fear fortúnach (a fortunate man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of fortúnach?
With a plural noun fortúnach becomes fortúnacha: fir fhortúnacha, mná fortúnacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very fortunate in Irish?
an-fhortúnach. Too fortunate is rófhortúnach, and as fortunate as is chomh fortúnach le.
What is the difference between 'fortúnach' and 'ádhúil'?
Both mean lucky. 'Ádhúil' is the more everyday word, while 'fortúnach' is closer to English 'fortunate'. The opposite is 'mífhortúnach'.
