HeyRuaHow to say “helpful” in Irish
- Irish:
- cabhrach
- English:
- helpful
- Word type:
- adjective
- More helpful:
- níos cabhraí
- Most helpful:
- is cabhraí
- Plural:
- cabhracha
- Pronunciation:
- “KOW-rakh” /ˈkauɾˠəx/
What does “cabhrach” mean?
- helpful
- Giving help or useful assistance to someone.Also: useful, supportive, obliging.
Other Irish adjectives for helpful: cúntach (helpful), cuidiúil (helpful), garach (obliging), oibleagáideach (obliging)
“Cabhrach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is cabhrach 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 chabhrach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear cabhrach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, cabhracha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir chabhracha; after other plurals it does not: mná cabhracha.
More helpful, most helpful, very helpful
Tá Máire níos cabhraí ná a deartháir. Máire is more helpful than her brother.
| more helpful | níos cabhraí | in the past tense: ní ba chabhraí |
|---|---|---|
| most helpful | is cabhraí | in the past tense: ba chabhraí |
| as helpful as | chomh cabhrach le | no change after chomh |
| very helpful | an-chabhrach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too helpful | róchabhrach | ró- lenites |
“Cabhrach” 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.
Helpful in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for helpful?
The Irish for helpful is cabhrach (pronounced “KOW-rakh”). It comes after the noun: fear cabhrach, a helpful man; bean chabhrach, a helpful woman.
How do you say more helpful and most helpful in Irish?
níos cabhraí is more helpful and is cabhraí is most helpful. In the past tense they become ní ba chabhraí and ba chabhraí.
Why does cabhrach become chabhrach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean chabhrach (a helpful woman) but fear cabhrach (a helpful man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of cabhrach?
With a plural noun cabhrach becomes cabhracha: fir chabhracha, mná cabhracha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very helpful in Irish?
an-chabhrach. Too helpful is róchabhrach, and as helpful as is chomh cabhrach le.
Which preposition goes with cabhrach?
Use le for the person helped: Bhí sí an-chabhrach liom, 'She was very helpful to me'.
What is the difference between cabhrach and cuidiúil?
Both mean 'helpful'; cuidiúil is especially common in Ulster, while cabhrach is widely used everywhere.
