HeyRuaHow to say “good person” in Irish
- Irish:
- dea-dhuine
- English:
- good person
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine
- Pronunciation:
- “dya-GHIN-yuh” /ˈdʲa ˌɣɪnʲə/
- Plural:
- dea-dhaoine (good people)
- Genitive singular:
- dea-dhuine, an dea-dhuine (e.g. cineáltas an dea-dhuine, the kindness of the good person)
- Genitive plural:
- dea-dhaoine, na ndea-dhaoine (e.g. gníomhartha na ndea-dhaoine, the deeds of the good people)
What does “dea-dhuine” mean?
- good person
- A person who is kind, decent and well-behaved.Also: decent person, good man, kind person.
“Dea-dhuine” with the article
The plural of good person in Irish is dea-dhaoine. Here is dea-dhuine after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Dea-dhuine” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using dea-dhuine, the Irish word for good person.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Good person in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for good person?
The Irish for good person is dea-dhuine (pronounced “dya-GHIN-yuh”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is dea-dhaoine.
How do you pronounce dea-dhuine in Irish?
Dea-dhuine is said like “dya-GHIN-yuh” (IPA /ˈdʲa ˌɣɪnʲə/).
What is the plural of good person in Irish?
The plural of dea-dhuine is dea-dhaoine; with the article, na dea-dhaoine means “the good people”. The genitive plural is dea-dhaoine, as in gníomhartha na ndea-dhaoine (the deeds of the good people).
Why does dea-dhuine change to dhea-dhuine or ndea-dhuine?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) dea-dhuine becomes mo dhea-dhuine (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár ndea-dhuine (eclipsis).
Why is 'duine' lenited in 'dea-dhuine'?
The prefix 'dea-' (good) lenites the word after it, so 'duine' becomes 'dea-dhuine', just as 'scéal' becomes 'dea-scéal'.
Is 'dea-dhuine' the same as 'duine maith'?
Yes, both mean a good person; 'duine maith' is more everyday, while 'dea-dhuine' is a compound with the prefix 'dea-'.
