HeyRuaHow to say “laborious” in Irish
- Irish:
- saothrach
- English:
- laborious, hardworking, laboured
- Word type:
- adjective
- More laborious:
- níos saothraí
- Most laborious:
- is saothraí
- Plural:
- saothracha
- Pronunciation:
- “SAY-hrukh” /ˈsˠeːhɾˠəx/
What does “saothrach” mean?
“Saothrach” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- laborious
- Needing a lot of hard work and effort.Also: toilsome, arduous, hard.
2 other meanings: hardworking or laboured
- 2hardworking
- Describes a person who works hard and steadily.Also: industrious, diligent, busy.
- 3laboured
- Describes breathing that is slow and difficult.Also: labored, heavy, difficult.
“Saothrach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is saothrach after saothar (work, masculine), after obair (work, 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: obair shaothrach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: saothar saothrach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, saothracha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: saothair shaothracha; after other plurals it does not: oibreacha saothracha.
More laborious, most laborious, very laborious
Tá an post seo níos saothraí ná an seancheann. This job is more laborious than the old one.
| more laborious | níos saothraí | in the past tense: ní ba shaothraí |
|---|---|---|
| most laborious | is saothraí | in the past tense: ba shaothraí |
| as laborious as | chomh saothrach le | no change after chomh |
| very laborious | an-saothrach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too laborious | róshaothrach | ró- lenites |
“Saothrach” 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.
Laborious in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for laborious?
The Irish for laborious is saothrach (pronounced “SAY-hrukh”). It comes after the noun: saothar saothrach, laborious work; obair shaothrach, laborious work.
How do you say more laborious and most laborious in Irish?
níos saothraí is more laborious and is saothraí is most laborious. In the past tense they become ní ba shaothraí and ba shaothraí.
Why does saothrach become shaothrach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So obair shaothrach (laborious work) but saothar saothrach (laborious work), because saothar is masculine.
What is the plural of saothrach?
With a plural noun saothrach becomes saothracha: saothair shaothracha, oibreacha saothracha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very laborious in Irish?
an-saothrach. Too laborious is róshaothrach, and as laborious as is chomh saothrach le.
Does saothrach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Saothrach can mean laborious, hardworking or laboured, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How is 'saothrach' related to 'saothar'?
'Saothrach' comes from the noun 'saothar', meaning work or toil, so 'obair shaothrach' is work that takes great effort.
