HeyRuaWhat does “de” mean?
- 1off, from
- Used when something is taken off or comes away from something else.Also: off, from, take off, remove from.
- 2of
- Used to show a part of a group or a whole, like 'one of' or 'some of'.Also: one of, some of, part of.
- 3made of
- Used to say what material something is made of.Also: of wood, material.
Pronounced “jeh” /dʲɛ/.
“De” with pronouns
In Irish you never say “de mé”. The preposition and the pronoun fuse into one word. Learn these 7 forms and you can use de with anyone. Click a form for its own page.
| Pronoun | Irish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (me) | díom | off me | D'fhiafraigh sí díom cá raibh tú.She asked me where you were. |
| tú (you) | díot | off you | Bain díot do chóta.Take off your coat. |
| sé (him / it) | de | off him / it | Bhain sé a hata de.He took his hat off. |
| sí (her / it) | di | off her / it | Bhain sí a cóta di.She took off her coat. |
| sinn (us) | dínn | off us | Is duine dínn é.He is one of us. |
| sibh (you (plural)) | díbh | off you (plural) | An bhfuil aon duine díbh ag teacht?Is any of you coming? |
| siad (them) | díobh | off them | Cheannaigh mé dhá cheann díobh.I bought two of them. |
“De” before a noun
De lenites the next word (séimhiú): the first letter takes an h, de bhalla.
Becomes d’ before a vowel or fh: d’adhmad (of wood).
Everyday phrases with “de”
The other prepositions
Every simple preposition has its own set of pronoun forms.
“De” in Irish: frequently asked questions
What does de mean in Irish?
de means of, off, from. With a pronoun it becomes one word: díom (of, off, from me), díot (of, off, from you), de (of, off, from him / it).
What is the Irish for of me?
díom. The preposition de and the pronoun mé fuse into one word; this is a prepositional pronoun (forainm réamhfhoclach).
Does de change the next word?
De lenites the next word (séimhiú): the first letter takes an h, de bhalla. Becomes d’ before a vowel or fh: d’adhmad (of wood).
How do I say 'ask someone' in Irish?
You use 'fiafraigh de', so 'I asked him' is 'D'fhiafraigh mé de'. The person you ask always comes after 'de'.
Why does 'de' sometimes become 'den' or 'd''?
'De' joins with the singular article 'an' to make 'den', as in 'den mballa' (off the wall). Before a vowel or 'fh' it becomes 'd'', as in 'd'adhmad' (of wood).
