HeyRuaHow to say “hungry” in Irish
- Irish:
- gortach
- English:
- hungry, stingy
- Word type:
- adjective
- Hungrier:
- níos gortaí
- Hungriest:
- is gortaí
- Plural:
- gortacha
- Pronunciation:
- “GOR-tukh” /ˈɡɔɾˠt̪ˠəx/
What does “gortach” mean?
“Gortach” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- hungry
- Feeling hunger or wanting food; also used of a time or place where food is scarce.Also: starving, famished.
1 other meaning: stingy
- 2stingy
- Mean and unwilling to give or share things.Also: mean, miserly, niggardly.
Other Irish adjectives for hungry: ocrach (hungry)
“Gortach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is gortach after páiste (child, 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 ghortach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: páiste gortach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, gortacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: girseacha gortacha.
Hungrier, hungriest, very hungry
Bhí mé níos gortaí ná riamh tar éis na siúlóide. I was hungrier than ever after the walk.
| hungrier | níos gortaí | in the past tense: ní ba ghortaí |
|---|---|---|
| hungriest | is gortaí | in the past tense: ba ghortaí |
| as hungry as | chomh gortach le | no change after chomh |
| very hungry | an-ghortach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too hungry | róghortach | ró- lenites |
“Gortach” 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.
Hungry in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for hungry?
The Irish for hungry is gortach (pronounced “GOR-tukh”). It comes after the noun: páiste gortach, a hungry child; girseach ghortach, a hungry girl.
How do you say hungrier and hungriest in Irish?
níos gortaí is hungrier and is gortaí is hungriest. In the past tense they become ní ba ghortaí and ba ghortaí.
Why does gortach become ghortach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So girseach ghortach (a hungry girl) but páiste gortach (a hungry child), because páiste is masculine.
What is the plural of gortach?
With a plural noun gortach becomes gortacha: páistí gortacha, girseacha gortacha.
How do you say very hungry in Irish?
an-ghortach. Too hungry is róghortach, and as hungry as is chomh gortach le.
Does gortach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Gortach can mean hungry or stingy, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'gortach' and 'ocrach'?
Both can mean hungry, but 'ocrach' is the usual adjective for hungry; hunger itself is usually expressed as 'Tá ocras orm'. 'Gortach' also often means stingy, as in 'fear gortach'.
