HeyRuaHow to say “nail” in Irish
- Irish:
- tairne
- English:
- nail
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine, fourth declension
- Pronunciation:
- “TAR-nyeh” /ˈt̪ˠaːɾˠnʲə/
- Plural:
- tairní (nails)
- Genitive singular:
- tairne, an tairne (e.g. ceann an tairne, the head of the nail)
- Genitive plural:
- tairní, na dtairní (e.g. ceann na dtairní, the heads of the nails)
What does “tairne” mean?
- nail
- A small pointed metal spike that is hammered into wood or similar material to fasten things together.Also: metal nail, tack, spike.
Other Irish words for nail: ionga (nail)
“Tairne” with the article
The plural of nail in Irish is tairní. Here is tairne after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Tairne” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using tairne, the Irish word for nail.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Nail in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for nail?
The Irish for nail is tairne (pronounced “TAR-nyeh”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is tairní.
How do you pronounce tairne in Irish?
Tairne is said like “TAR-nyeh” (IPA /ˈt̪ˠaːɾˠnʲə/).
What is the plural of nail in Irish?
The plural of tairne is tairní; with the article, na tairní means “the nails”. The genitive plural is tairní, as in ceann na dtairní (the heads of the nails).
Why does tairne change to thairne or dtairne?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) tairne becomes mo thairne (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár dtairne (eclipsis).
Is 'tairne' used for a fingernail?
No, 'tairne' is a metal nail; a fingernail or toenail is 'ionga'.
How do you say 'hit the nail on the head' in Irish?
A common way is 'bhuail tú an tairne ar a cheann', modelled on the English idiom, though it is not a traditional Irish expression.
