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

Uime means around him / it. It is the preposition um (around) 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 “uime” comes from

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

umaround +
séhim / it
=
uimearound him / it

Around, about: with a pronoun it is nearly always about clothes, cuir umat do chóta = put on your coat (put your coat around you). Everyday speech prefers cuir ort. On its own um marks times: um Nollaig = at Christmas.

“Uime” in the table of “um”

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

PronounIrishMeaningExample
mé (me)umamaround meChuir mé mo chóta umam.I put my coat on.
tú (you)umataround youCuir do chóta umat, tá sé fuar.Put your coat on, it's cold.
sé (him / it)uimearound him / itChuir sé a gheansaí uime go tapa.He put his jumper on quickly.
sí (her / it)uimpiaround her / itChuir sí a cóta uimpi agus d'imigh sí.She put her coat on and left.
sinn (us)umainnaround usChuireamar ár gcótaí umainn ar maidin.We put our coats on in the morning.
sibh (you (plural))umaibharound you (plural)Cuirigí bhur gcótaí umaibh anois.Put your coats on now.
siad (them)umpuaround themChuir siad a gcótaí umpu ar an bpointe.They put their coats on right away.

“Uime” in sentences

Chuir sé a gheansaí uime go tapa.
He put his jumper on quickly.
uime sin
therefore, for that reason

“sé” with the other prepositions

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

“Uime” in Irish: frequently asked questions

What does uime mean in Irish?

uime means around him / it: the preposition um (around) joined to the pronoun sé (him / it). The next form is uimpi, around her / it.

Is uime one word or two?

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

What are all the forms of um with pronouns?

umam (around me), umat (around you), uime (around him / it), uimpi (around her / it), umainn (around us), umaibh (around you (plural)), umpu (around them).

When do I use uime?

Around, about: with a pronoun it is nearly always about clothes, cuir umat do chóta = put on your coat (put your coat around you). Everyday speech prefers cuir ort. On its own um marks times: um Nollaig = at Christmas. For example: Chuir sé a gheansaí uime go tapa., He put his jumper on quickly.

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