HeyRuaWhere “umainn” comes from
Take the preposition, add the pronoun, and they fuse into one word. You never say “um sinn” in Irish.
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.
“Umainn” in the table of “um”
Every form of um with a pronoun. Umainn is the fifth (we, us) row. Click any form to see its own page.
| Pronoun | Irish | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (me) | umam | around me | Chuir mé mo chóta umam.I put my coat on. |
| tú (you) | umat | around you | Cuir do chóta umat, tá sé fuar.Put your coat on, it's cold. |
| sé (him / it) | uime | around him / it | Chuir sé a gheansaí uime go tapa.He put his jumper on quickly. |
| sí (her / it) | uimpi | around her / it | Chuir sí a cóta uimpi agus d'imigh sí.She put her coat on and left. |
| sinn (us) | umainn | around us | Chuireamar ár gcótaí umainn ar maidin.We put our coats on in the morning. |
| sibh (you (plural)) | umaibh | around you (plural) | Cuirigí bhur gcótaí umaibh anois.Put your coats on now. |
| siad (them) | umpu | around them | Chuir siad a gcótaí umpu ar an bpointe.They put their coats on right away. |
“Umainn” in sentences
“sinn” with the other prepositions
The same pronoun, sinn (us), joined to the other prepositions.
“Umainn” in Irish: frequently asked questions
What does umainn mean in Irish?
umainn means around us: the preposition um (around) joined to the pronoun sinn (us). The next form is umaibh, around you (plural).
Is umainn one word or two?
One word. A simple preposition and a pronoun always fuse in Irish, so you never say “um sinn”. 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 umainn?
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: Chuireamar ár gcótaí umainn ar maidin., We put our coats on in the morning.
