HeyRuaHow to say “neat” in Irish
- Irish:
- comair
- English:
- neat, concise
- Word type:
- adjective
- Neater:
- níos coimre
- Neatest:
- is coimre
- Plural:
- coimre
- Pronunciation:
- “KUM-er” /ˈkʊmˠəɾʲ/
What does “comair” mean?
“Comair” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- neat
- Tidy, compact and well arranged in a pleasing way.Also: trim, tidy, compact, shapely.
1 other meaning: concise
- 2concise
- Short and to the point, using few words.Also: brief, succinct, short.
Other Irish adjectives for neat: slachtmhar (neat), néata (neat), pointeáilte (neat), innealta (neat)
“Comair” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is comair after teach (house, masculine), after cistin (kitchen, 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: cistin chomair. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: teach comair.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, coimre. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: cistineacha coimre.
Neater, neatest, very neat
Tá an leagan seo níos coimre ná an chéad cheann. This version is more concise than the first one.
| neater | níos coimre | in the past tense: ní ba choimre |
|---|---|---|
| neatest | is coimre | in the past tense: ba choimre |
| as neat as | chomh comair le | no change after chomh |
| very neat | an-chomair | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too neat | róchomair | ró- lenites |
“Comair” 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.
Neat in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for neat?
The Irish for neat is comair (pronounced “KUM-er”). It comes after the noun: teach comair, a neat house; cistin chomair, a neat kitchen.
How do you say neater and neatest in Irish?
níos coimre is neater and is coimre is neatest. In the past tense they become ní ba choimre and ba choimre.
Why does comair become chomair?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So cistin chomair (a neat kitchen) but teach comair (a neat house), because teach is masculine.
What is the plural of comair?
With a plural noun comair becomes coimre: tithe coimre, cistineacha coimre.
How do you say very neat in Irish?
an-chomair. Too neat is róchomair, and as neat as is chomh comair le.
Does comair have more than one meaning?
Yes. Comair can mean neat or concise, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'comair' and 'achomair'?
'Comair' usually means neat or compact, while 'achomair' more often means brief or summarised, as in 'cuntas achomair', a brief account; 'achoimre' is a summary.
