HeyRuaWhat does “trí” mean?
- 1through
- Used for moving or seeing from one side of something to the other, like through a door or a window.Also: via, across.
- 2through, by means of
- Used to say how something is done or which way or language is used, as in 'trí Ghaeilge' (through Irish).Also: through, by means of, via, in.
- 3because of, by
- Used to give the cause of something, as in 'trí thimpiste' (by accident).Also: because of, by, owing to.
Pronounced “tree” /tʲɾʲiː/.
“Trí” with pronouns
In Irish you never say “trí mé”. The preposition and the pronoun fuse into one word. Learn these 7 forms and you can use trí with anyone. Click a form for its own page.
| Pronoun | Irish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (me) | tríom | through me | Chuaigh fuacht tríom ar maidin.A chill went through me this morning. |
| tú (you) | tríot | through you | D'fhéach sé tríot ar an tsráid inné.He looked right through you on the street yesterday. |
| sé (him / it) | tríd | through him / it | Tá poll sa chóta agus téann an ghaoth tríd.There is a hole in the coat and the wind goes through it. |
| sí (her / it) | tríthi | through her / it | Bhí an fhuinneog salach, ní fhaca mé tríthi.The window was dirty; I couldn't see through it. |
| sinn (us) | trínn | through us | Chuaigh an ghaoth fhuar trínn.The cold wind went right through us. |
| sibh (you (plural)) | tríbh | through you (plural) | Gheobhaidh mé an t-eolas tríbh.I will get the information through you. |
| siad (them) | tríothu | through them | Tá na fuinneoga glan, is féidir leat feiceáil tríothu.The windows are clean; you can see through them. |
“Trí” before a noun
Trí lenites the next word (séimhiú): the first letter takes an h, trí fhuinneog.
Tríd is the form before the article: tríd an doras (through the door).
Everyday phrases with “trí”
The other prepositions
Every simple preposition has its own set of pronoun forms.
“Trí” in Irish: frequently asked questions
What does trí mean in Irish?
trí means through. With a pronoun it becomes one word: tríom (through me), tríot (through you), tríd (through him / it).
What is the Irish for through me?
tríom. The preposition trí and the pronoun mé fuse into one word; this is a prepositional pronoun (forainm réamhfhoclach).
Does trí change the next word?
Trí lenites the next word (séimhiú): the first letter takes an h, trí fhuinneog. Tríd is the form before the article: tríd an doras (through the door).
Why do I sometimes see 'tríd' instead of 'trí'?
Before the article 'an' you use 'tríd', so you say 'tríd an doras' (through the door) and 'tríd an bhfuinneog' (through the window). On its own, 'tríd' also means 'through him' or 'through it'.
Is the preposition 'trí' the same as the number 'trí' (three)?
No, they are different words that look the same, and both lenite the next word, so 'trí fhuinneog' can mean 'through a window' or 'three windows'. The context tells you which one is meant.
