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Where in Irish (cá, cár): How to Ask It, With Examples

Where is cá. It eclipses the verb: cá bhfuil tú?, where are you? In the past tense of regular verbs it becomes cár with a séimhiú: cár fhág tú é?, where did you leave it?

How “cá” works

Cá takes the dependent form of the verb with an urú: cá bhfuil, cá raibh, cá ndeachaigh, cá gcónaíonn, and n- before a vowel: cá n-oibríonn tú? With the past tense of a regular verb it becomes cár and lenites: cár chuir, cár fhág. Cá háit (which place) and cén áit also mean where.

séimhiú or h urú or t-
cáwhere
+
fuilis
=
Cá bhfuil sé?Where is it?
cárwhere (past)
+
fágleft
=
Cár fhág tú é?Where did you leave it?

“Cá” in questions

Cá bhfuil tú?
Where are you?
Cá bhfuil an leithreas?
Where is the toilet?
Cá raibh tú aréir?
Where were you last night?
Cá ndeachaigh sí?
Where did she go?
Cá gcónaíonn tú?
Where do you live?
Cá n-oibríonn tú?
Where do you work?
Cár fhág tú é?
Where did you leave it?
Cár chuir tú na heochracha?
Where did you put the keys?
Cárb as duit?
Where are you from?
Cén áit a bhfuil tú?
Where are you? (which place)

Across the dialects

cáthe standard, used everywherecén áit, cá háitwhich place; also used everywhere

Other question words

cathainwhencá fhadhow long, how farcénwhich na ceisteannaall the question words

Where in Irish (cá, cár): the questions people ask

When is it cá and when is it cár?

Cá goes with the present, the future, the conditional and the irregular pasts that have their own dependent form (cá raibh, cá ndeachaigh, cá bhfaca). Cár goes with the past tense of a regular verb and lenites it: cár fhág tú é?

How do you say where are you from in Irish?

Cárb as duit?, cé as thú? or cad as duit? all work. The answer is Is as Corcaigh mé, I am from Cork.

Why is it cá bhfuil and not cá tá?

After cá the verb takes its dependent form, the same one used after ní and an: an bhfuil, cá bhfuil. Tá is only used on its own or after a direct relative a.