HeyRuaHow to say “playful” in Irish
- Irish:
- cleasach
- English:
- playful, tricky
- Word type:
- adjective
- More playful:
- níos cleasaí
- Most playful:
- is cleasaí
- Plural:
- cleasacha
- Pronunciation:
- “KLASS-ukh” /ˈklʲasˠəx/
What does “cleasach” mean?
“Cleasach” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- playful
- Fond of playing tricks or pranks in fun.Also: mischievous, prankish, full of tricks.
1 other meaning: tricky
- 2tricky
- Crafty or cunning, using tricks to deceive or get an advantage.Also: crafty, wily, cunning, deceitful.
Other Irish adjectives for playful: spraíúil (playful)
“Cleasach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is cleasach after buachaill (boy, masculine), after girseach (girl, 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: girseach chleasach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: buachaill cleasach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, cleasacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: girseacha cleasacha.
More playful, most playful, very playful
Tá an madra níos cleasaí ná an cat. The dog is more playful than the cat.
| more playful | níos cleasaí | in the past tense: ní ba chleasaí |
|---|---|---|
| most playful | is cleasaí | in the past tense: ba chleasaí |
| as playful as | chomh cleasach le | no change after chomh |
| very playful | an-chleasach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too playful | róchleasach | ró- lenites |
“Cleasach” 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.
Playful in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for playful?
The Irish for playful is cleasach (pronounced “KLASS-ukh”). It comes after the noun: buachaill cleasach, a playful boy; girseach chleasach, a playful girl.
How do you say more playful and most playful in Irish?
níos cleasaí is more playful and is cleasaí is most playful. In the past tense they become ní ba chleasaí and ba chleasaí.
Why does cleasach become chleasach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So girseach chleasach (a playful girl) but buachaill cleasach (a playful boy), because buachaill is masculine.
What is the plural of cleasach?
With a plural noun cleasach becomes cleasacha: buachaillí cleasacha, girseacha cleasacha.
How do you say very playful in Irish?
an-chleasach. Too playful is róchleasach, and as playful as is chomh cleasach le.
Does cleasach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cleasach can mean playful or tricky, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'cleasach' and 'glic'?
'Cleasach' is about playing tricks, playfully or deceitfully, from 'cleas' (a trick), while 'glic' usually means clever or shrewd.
