HeyRuaHow to say “polite” in Irish
- Irish:
- múinte
- English:
- polite, educated, tame
- Word type:
- adjective
- More polite:
- níos múinte
- Most polite:
- is múinte
- Pronunciation:
- “MOON-cha” /ˈmˠuːnʲtʲə/
What does “múinte” mean?
“Múinte” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- polite
- Having good manners and behaving courteously towards others.Also: well-mannered, courteous, mannerly, civil.
2 other meanings: educated or tame
- 2educated
- Well taught or well brought up; trained in proper behaviour.Also: well brought up, taught, cultivated.
- 3tame
- Of an animal, trained and used to people rather than wild.Also: trained, house-trained, domesticated.
Other Irish adjectives for polite: béasach (polite), cúirtéiseach (courteous), dea-bhéasach (well-mannered), dea-mhúinte (well-mannered)
“Múinte” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is múinte after buachaill (boy, 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 mhúinte. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: buachaill múinte.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, múinte. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: mná múinte.
More polite, most polite, very polite
Tá sí níos múinte ná a deartháir. She is more polite than her brother.
| more polite | níos múinte | in the past tense: ní ba mhúinte |
|---|---|---|
| most polite | is múinte | in the past tense: ba mhúinte |
| as polite as | chomh múinte le | no change after chomh |
| very polite | an-mhúinte | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too polite | rómhúinte | ró- lenites |
“Múinte” 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.
Polite in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for polite?
The Irish for polite is múinte (pronounced “MOON-cha”). It comes after the noun: buachaill múinte, a polite boy; bean mhúinte, a polite woman.
How do you say more polite and most polite in Irish?
níos múinte is more polite and is múinte is most polite. In the past tense they become ní ba mhúinte and ba mhúinte.
Why does múinte become mhúinte?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean mhúinte (a polite woman) but buachaill múinte (a polite boy), because buachaill is masculine.
How do you say very polite in Irish?
an-mhúinte. Too polite is rómhúinte, and as polite as is chomh múinte le.
Does múinte have more than one meaning?
Yes. Múinte can mean polite, educated or tame, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of 'múinte'?
The opposite is 'mímhúinte', meaning rude or bad-mannered, as in 'Ná bí mímhúinte!' (Don't be rude!).
Is 'múinte' related to the verb 'múin'?
Yes, 'múinte' is the past participle of 'múin' (teach), so it literally means 'taught', as in 'Tá an ceacht múinte' (The lesson has been taught).
