HeyRuaHow to say “male” in Irish
- Irish:
- fireannach
- English:
- male, masculine
- Word type:
- adjective
- More male:
- níos fireannaí
- Most male:
- is fireannaí
- Plural:
- fireannacha
- Pronunciation:
- “FIR-an-akh” /ˈfʲɪɾʲən̪ˠəx/
What does “fireannach” mean?
“Fireannach” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- male
- Of the male sex, used of people, animals or plants.Also: masculine, he-.
1 other meaning: masculine
- 2masculine
- Belonging to the masculine gender in grammar.Also: male gender.
Other Irish adjectives for male: fireann (male)
The same spelling has its own page as:
“Fireannach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is fireannach after ainmhí (animal, masculine), after bó (cow, 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: bó fhireannach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: ainmhí fireannach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, fireannacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: ba fireannacha.
More male, most male, very male
Bhí na héin fhireannacha níos daite. The male birds were more colourful.
| more male | níos fireannaí | in the past tense: ní b'fhireannaí |
|---|---|---|
| most male | is fireannaí | in the past tense: ab fhireannaí |
| as male as | chomh fireannach le | no change after chomh |
| very male | an-fhireannach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too male | rófhireannach | ró- lenites |
“Fireannach” 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.
Male in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for male?
The Irish for male is fireannach (pronounced “FIR-an-akh”). It comes after the noun: ainmhí fireannach, a male animal; bó fhireannach, a male cow.
How do you say more male and most male in Irish?
níos fireannaí is more male and is fireannaí is most male. In the past tense they become ní b'fhireannaí and ab fhireannaí.
Why does fireannach become fhireannach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bó fhireannach (a male cow) but ainmhí fireannach (a male animal), because ainmhí is masculine.
What is the plural of fireannach?
With a plural noun fireannach becomes fireannacha: ainmhithe fireannacha, ba fireannacha.
How do you say very male in Irish?
an-fhireannach. Too male is rófhireannach, and as male as is chomh fireannach le.
Does fireannach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Fireannach can mean male or masculine, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of 'fireannach'?
The opposite is 'baineann', female, as in 'ainmhí baineann', a female animal.
Is 'fireannach' the same as 'fearúil'?
No: 'fireannach' refers to sex or grammatical gender, while 'fearúil' means manly in character, as in 'fear fearúil'.
