HeyRuaWhat does “thar” mean?
- 1over, across
- Use 'thar' when something moves over or across something else, like jumping over a wall or crossing a river.Also: over, across, across from one side to the other.
- 2past
- Use 'thar' when someone or something goes past a person or place without stopping.Also: by, go past.
- 3beyond, more than
- Use 'thar' to mean more than or beyond a limit, as in 'thar a bheith' (extremely).Also: beyond, more than, extremely.
Pronounced “har” /haɾˠ/.
“Thar” with pronouns
In Irish you never say “thar mé”. The preposition and the pronoun fuse into one word. Learn these 7 forms and you can use thar with anyone. Click a form for its own page.
| Pronoun | Irish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (me) | tharam | past me | Chuaigh an bus tharam gan stopadh.The bus went past me without stopping. |
| tú (you) | tharat | past you | Rith an madra tharat ar an tsráid.The dog ran past you on the street. |
| sé (him / it) | thairis | past him / it | Tá balla ard ann ach léim sé thairis.There's a high wall there but he jumped over it. |
| sí (her / it) | thairsti | past her / it | Shiúil mé thairsti ar an tsráid inné.I walked past her on the street yesterday. |
| sinn (us) | tharainn | past us | Chuaigh an traein tharainn go tapa.The train went past us quickly. |
| sibh (you (plural)) | tharaibh | past you (plural) | Rith na páistí tharaibh sa pháirc.The children ran past you in the park. |
| siad (them) | tharstu | past them | Chuamar tharstu ar an mbóthar.We went past them on the road. |
“Thar” before a noun
Thar lenites the next word (séimhiú): the first letter takes an h, thar chlaí.
No lenition in set phrases such as thar sáile (overseas) and thar barr (excellent).
Everyday phrases with “thar”
The other prepositions
Every simple preposition has its own set of pronoun forms.
“Thar” in Irish: frequently asked questions
What does thar mean in Irish?
thar means over, across, past. With a pronoun it becomes one word: tharam (over, across, past me), tharat (over, across, past you), thairis (over, across, past him / it).
What is the Irish for over me?
tharam. The preposition thar and the pronoun mé fuse into one word; this is a prepositional pronoun (forainm réamhfhoclach).
Does thar change the next word?
Thar lenites the next word (séimhiú): the first letter takes an h, thar chlaí. No lenition in set phrases such as thar sáile (overseas) and thar barr (excellent).
Why is there no lenition in 'thar barr' and 'thar sáile'?
These are fixed set phrases, so the noun stays unchanged: 'thar barr' means excellent and 'thar sáile' means overseas. In normal use 'thar' lenites, as in 'thar chlaí'.
How do I say 'extremely' using 'thar'?
Use 'thar a bheith' before an adjective, for example 'Bhí an lá thar a bheith te' means 'The day was extremely hot'.
