HeyRuaHow to say “potential” in Irish
- Irish:
- poitéinsiúil
- English:
- potential
- Word type:
- adjective
- More potential:
- níos poitéinsiúla
- Most potential:
- is poitéinsiúla
- Plural:
- poitéinsiúla
- Pronunciation:
- “PUT-ayn-shool” /ˈpˠɔtʲeːnʲʃuːlʲ/
What does “poitéinsiúil” mean?
- potential
- Possible or likely to become something in the future, but not yet actual.Also: prospective, possible, latent.
“Poitéinsiúil” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is poitéinsiúil after custaiméir (customer, masculine), after contúirt (danger, 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: contúirt phoitéinsiúil. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: custaiméir poitéinsiúil.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, poitéinsiúla. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: contúirtí poitéinsiúla.
More potential, most potential, very potential
Tá an dara plean níos poitéinsiúla ná an chéad cheann. The second plan has more potential than the first.
| more potential | níos poitéinsiúla | in the past tense: ní ba phoitéinsiúla |
|---|---|---|
| most potential | is poitéinsiúla | in the past tense: ba phoitéinsiúla |
| as potential as | chomh poitéinsiúil le | no change after chomh |
| very potential | an-phoitéinsiúil | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too potential | róphoitéinsiúil | ró- lenites |
“Poitéinsiúil” 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.
Potential in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for potential?
The Irish for potential is poitéinsiúil (pronounced “PUT-ayn-shool”). It comes after the noun: custaiméir poitéinsiúil, a potential customer; contúirt phoitéinsiúil, a potential danger.
How do you say more potential and most potential in Irish?
níos poitéinsiúla is more potential and is poitéinsiúla is most potential. In the past tense they become ní ba phoitéinsiúla and ba phoitéinsiúla.
Why does poitéinsiúil become phoitéinsiúil?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So contúirt phoitéinsiúil (a potential danger) but custaiméir poitéinsiúil (a potential customer), because custaiméir is masculine.
What is the plural of poitéinsiúil?
With a plural noun poitéinsiúil becomes poitéinsiúla: custaiméirí poitéinsiúla, contúirtí poitéinsiúla.
How do you say very potential in Irish?
an-phoitéinsiúil. Too potential is róphoitéinsiúil, and as potential as is chomh poitéinsiúil le.
What is the noun for 'potential' in Irish?
The noun is 'acmhainn' or 'poitéinseal', as in 'tá acmhainn mhór ann', he has great potential.
