HeyRuaHow to say “middle-aged” in Irish
- Irish:
- breacaosta
- English:
- middle-aged
- Word type:
- adjective
- More middle-aged:
- níos breacaosta
- Most middle-aged:
- is breacaosta
- Pronunciation:
- “BRAK-ees-ta” /ˈbʲɾʲakˌiːst̪ˠə/
What does “breacaosta” mean?
- middle-aged
- Describes a person who is no longer young but not yet old, getting on in years.Also: elderly, fairly old, getting on.
Other Irish adjectives for middle-aged: meánaosta (middle-aged)
“Breacaosta” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is breacaosta 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 bhreacaosta. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear breacaosta.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, breacaosta. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir bhreacaosta; after other plurals it does not: mná breacaosta.
More middle-aged, most middle-aged, very middle-aged
| more middle-aged | níos breacaosta | in the past tense: ní ba bhreacaosta |
|---|---|---|
| most middle-aged | is breacaosta | in the past tense: ba bhreacaosta |
| as middle-aged as | chomh breacaosta le | no change after chomh |
| very middle-aged | an-bhreacaosta | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too middle-aged | róbhreacaosta | ró- lenites |
“Breacaosta” 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.
Middle-aged in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for middle-aged?
The Irish for middle-aged is breacaosta (pronounced “BRAK-ees-ta”). It comes after the noun: fear breacaosta, a middle-aged man; bean bhreacaosta, a middle-aged woman.
How do you say more middle-aged and most middle-aged in Irish?
níos breacaosta is more middle-aged and is breacaosta is most middle-aged. In the past tense they become ní ba bhreacaosta and ba bhreacaosta.
Why does breacaosta become bhreacaosta?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean bhreacaosta (a middle-aged woman) but fear breacaosta (a middle-aged man), because fear is masculine.
How do you say very middle-aged in Irish?
an-bhreacaosta. Too middle-aged is róbhreacaosta, and as middle-aged as is chomh breacaosta le.
What is the difference between 'breacaosta' and 'aosta'?
'Aosta' means old or aged, while 'breacaosta' means fairly old or middle-aged, literally 'speckled old', as when hair starts going grey.
