HeyRuaHow “cé” works
Cé stands on its own before a noun or a name: Cé tusa? Before é, í and iad it puts an h in front: cé hé, cé hí, cé hiad. Before a verb it is followed by a, and the verb gets a séimhiú: cé a bhris, cé a chonaic.
séimhiú or h urú or t-
céwho
+athat
+chonaicsaw
=
Cé a chonaic é?Who saw it?
céwho
+h
+éhe
=
Cé hé sin?Who is that?
“Cé” in questions
Cé hé sin?
Who is that? (a man)
Cé hí sin?
Who is that? (a woman)
Cé hiad sin?
Who are they?
Cé tusa?
Who are you?
Cé atá ann?
Who is there?
Cé a rinne é?
Who did it?
Cé a bhris an fhuinneog?
Who broke the window?
Cé a bheidh ag teacht?
Who will be coming?
Cé leis é?
Whose is it?
Cé as thú?
Where are you from?
Other question words
Who in Irish (cé): the questions people ask
When is it cé and when is it cé a?
Use cé a when a verb follows: Cé a rinne é? Use cé on its own before a pronoun or a name: Cé tusa?, Cé hé Seán?
How do you say who is that in Irish?
Cé hé sin? for a man and cé hí sin? for a woman. For more than one person, cé hiad sin?
Why is it cé hé and not cé é?
Cé puts an h in front of the pronouns é, í and iad. It is the same h that na puts before a vowel in na húlla: cé hé, cé hí, cé hiad.