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“Air” in Irish (on him / it): Meaning and Where It Comes From

Air means on him / it. It is the preposition ar (on) and the pronoun sé (him / it) joined into one word. Irish does this with every simple preposition; the joined words are called prepositional pronouns, forainmneacha réamhfhoclacha.
Updated October 2026Report a mistake

Where “air” comes from

Take the preposition, add the pronoun, and they fuse into one word. You never say “ar sé” in Irish.

aron +
séhim / it
=
airon him / it

Feelings and states sit “on” you in Irish: tá ocras orm = I am hungry (hunger is on me), tá brón orm = I am sorry.

“Air” in the table of “ar”

Every form of ar with a pronoun. Air is the third (he, him, it) row. Click any form to see its own page.

PronounIrishMeaningExample
mé (me)ormon meTá ocras orm anois.I am hungry now.
tú (you)orton youAn bhfuil tuirse ort?Are you tired?
sé (him / it)airon him / itTá slaghdán air inniu.He has a cold today.
sí (her / it)uirthion her / itTá eagla uirthi roimh mhadraí.She is afraid of dogs.
sinn (us)orainnon usTá deifir mhór orainn inniu.We are in a big hurry today.
sibh (you (plural))oraibhon you (plural)An bhfuil fuacht oraibh?Are you all cold?
siad (them)orthuon themTá áthas mór orthu inniu.They are very happy today.

“Air” in sentences

Tá slaghdán air inniu.
He has a cold today.

“sé” with the other prepositions

The same pronoun, sé (him / it), joined to the other prepositions.

“Air” in Irish: frequently asked questions

What does air mean in Irish?

air means on him / it: the preposition ar (on) joined to the pronoun sé (him / it). The next form is uirthi, on her / it.

Is air one word or two?

One word. A simple preposition and a pronoun always fuse in Irish, so you never say “ar sé”. These fused words are prepositional pronouns, forainmneacha réamhfhoclacha.

What are all the forms of ar with pronouns?

orm (on me), ort (on you), air (on him / it), uirthi (on her / it), orainn (on us), oraibh (on you (plural)), orthu (on them).

When do I use air?

Feelings and states sit “on” you in Irish: tá ocras orm = I am hungry (hunger is on me), tá brón orm = I am sorry. For example: Tá slaghdán air inniu., He has a cold today.

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