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“Ionainn” in Irish (in us): Meaning and Where It Comes From

Ionainn means in us. It is the preposition i (in) and the pronoun sinn (us) joined into one word. Irish does this with every simple preposition; the joined words are called prepositional pronouns, forainmneacha réamhfhoclacha.
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Where “ionainn” comes from

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

iin +
sinnus
=
ionainnin us

Inside: tá muinín agam ionat = I trust you (I have trust in you), tá sé ionam = it is in me.

“Ionainn” in the table of “i”

Every form of i with a pronoun. Ionainn is the fifth (we, us) row. Click any form to see its own page.

PronounIrishMeaningExample
mé (me)ionamin meNíl ionam ach duine amháin.I am only one person.
tú (you)ionatin youIs cara maith atá ionat.You are a good friend.
sé (him / it)annin him / itSeo mo mhála; tá leabhar ann.Here is my bag; there is a book in it.
sí (her / it)intiin her / itSeo an chistin; tá bord mór inti.Here is the kitchen; there is a big table in it.
sinn (us)ionainnin usNíl ionainn ach páistí fós.We are only children still.
sibh (you (plural))ionaibhin you (plural)Is daltaí maithe atá ionaibh.You are good pupils.
siad (them)iontuin themSeo na cupáin; tá tae iontu.Here are the cups; there is tea in them.

“Ionainn” in sentences

Níl ionainn ach páistí fós.
We are only children still.

“sinn” with the other prepositions

The same pronoun, sinn (us), joined to the other prepositions.

“Ionainn” in Irish: frequently asked questions

What does ionainn mean in Irish?

ionainn means in us: the preposition i (in) joined to the pronoun sinn (us). The next form is ionaibh, in you (plural).

Is ionainn one word or two?

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

What are all the forms of i with pronouns?

ionam (in me), ionat (in you), ann (in him / it), inti (in her / it), ionainn (in us), ionaibh (in you (plural)), iontu (in them).

When do I use ionainn?

Inside: tá muinín agam ionat = I trust you (I have trust in you), tá sé ionam = it is in me. For example: Níl ionainn ach páistí fós., We are only children still.

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