HeyRuaHow to say “pitiful” in Irish
- Irish:
- truamhéalach
- English:
- pitiful, plaintive
- Word type:
- adjective
- More pitiful:
- níos truamhéalaí
- Most pitiful:
- is truamhéalaí
- Plural:
- truamhéalacha
- Pronunciation:
- “TROO-a-vay-la-kh” /ˈt̪ˠɾˠuəvʲeːl̪ˠəx/
What does “truamhéalach” mean?
“Truamhéalach” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- pitiful
- So sad or wretched that it makes people feel pity.Also: pitiable, pathetic, piteous, wretched.
1 other meaning: plaintive
- 2plaintive
- Sounding sad and mournful.Also: mournful, doleful.
Other Irish adjectives for pitiful: trua (pitiable)
“Truamhéalach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is truamhéalach after scéal (story, masculine), after tuairim (opinion, 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: tuairim thruamhéalach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: scéal truamhéalach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, truamhéalacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: tuairimí truamhéalacha.
More pitiful, most pitiful, very pitiful
Bhí an dara scéal níos truamhéalaí ná an chéad cheann. The second story was more pitiful than the first one.
| more pitiful | níos truamhéalaí | in the past tense: ní ba thruamhéalaí |
|---|---|---|
| most pitiful | is truamhéalaí | in the past tense: ba thruamhéalaí |
| as pitiful as | chomh truamhéalach le | no change after chomh |
| very pitiful | an-truamhéalach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too pitiful | róthruamhéalach | ró- lenites |
“Truamhéalach” 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.
Pitiful in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for pitiful?
The Irish for pitiful is truamhéalach (pronounced “TROO-a-vay-la-kh”). It comes after the noun: scéal truamhéalach, a pitiful story; tuairim thruamhéalach, a pitiful opinion.
How do you say more pitiful and most pitiful in Irish?
níos truamhéalaí is more pitiful and is truamhéalaí is most pitiful. In the past tense they become ní ba thruamhéalaí and ba thruamhéalaí.
Why does truamhéalach become thruamhéalach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So tuairim thruamhéalach (a pitiful opinion) but scéal truamhéalach (a pitiful story), because scéal is masculine.
What is the plural of truamhéalach?
With a plural noun truamhéalach becomes truamhéalacha: scéalta truamhéalacha, tuairimí truamhéalacha.
How do you say very pitiful in Irish?
an-truamhéalach. Too pitiful is róthruamhéalach, and as pitiful as is chomh truamhéalach le.
Does truamhéalach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Truamhéalach can mean pitiful or plaintive, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How is 'truamhéalach' related to 'trua'?
'Truamhéalach' is built on 'trua' (pity), so it means 'pitiful'. To say you feel pity, use 'Is trua liom é' rather than the adjective.
