HeyRuaHow to say “reluctant” in Irish
- Irish:
- mífhonnmhar
- English:
- reluctant
- Word type:
- adjective
- More reluctant:
- níos mífhonnmhaire
- Most reluctant:
- is mífhonnmhaire
- Plural:
- mífhonnmhara
- Pronunciation:
- “MEE-un-war” /ˈmʲiːˌɔn̪ˠəvˠəɾˠ/
What does “mífhonnmhar” mean?
- reluctant
- Not wanting to do something and slow or hesitant to do it.Also: unwilling, disinclined, loath, grudging.
Other Irish adjectives for reluctant: leasc (reluctant), drogallach (reluctant)
“Mífhonnmhar” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is mífhonnmhar after fear (man, masculine), after bean (woman, feminine) and after a plural.
séimhiú (the h) the ending
After a feminine noun the adjective gets a séimhiú, an h after its first letter: bean mhífhonnmhar. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear mífhonnmhar.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, mífhonnmhara. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir mhífhonnmhara; after other plurals it does not: mná mífhonnmhara.
More reluctant, most reluctant, very reluctant
Tá sé níos mífhonnmhaire ná a dheartháir. He is more reluctant than his brother.
| more reluctant | níos mífhonnmhaire | in the past tense: ní ba mhífhonnmhaire |
|---|---|---|
| most reluctant | is mífhonnmhaire | in the past tense: ba mhífhonnmhaire |
| as reluctant as | chomh mífhonnmhar le | no change after chomh |
| very reluctant | an-mhífhonnmhar | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too reluctant | rómhífhonnmhar | ró- lenites |
“Mífhonnmhar” in a sentence: Irish examples
With a masculine noun, a feminine noun, a plural, a comparison and on its own.
Other adjectives in Irish
More everyday Irish adjectives to learn next.
Reluctant in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for reluctant?
The Irish for reluctant is mífhonnmhar (pronounced “MEE-un-war”). It comes after the noun: fear mífhonnmhar, a reluctant man; bean mhífhonnmhar, a reluctant woman.
How do you say more reluctant and most reluctant in Irish?
níos mífhonnmhaire is more reluctant and is mífhonnmhaire is most reluctant. In the past tense they become ní ba mhífhonnmhaire and ba mhífhonnmhaire.
Why does mífhonnmhar become mhífhonnmhar?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean mhífhonnmhar (a reluctant woman) but fear mífhonnmhar (a reluctant man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of mífhonnmhar?
With a plural noun mífhonnmhar becomes mífhonnmhara: fir mhífhonnmhara, mná mífhonnmhara. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very reluctant in Irish?
an-mhífhonnmhar. Too reluctant is rómhífhonnmhar, and as reluctant as is chomh mífhonnmhar le.
What is the opposite of 'mífhonnmhar'?
The opposite is 'fonnmhar', meaning willing or eager, as in 'Bhí sé fonnmhar cabhrú'.
How do I say someone is reluctant to do something?
Use the verbal noun after it, as in 'Tá sé mífhonnmhar imeacht', or use 'chun': 'mífhonnmhar chun oibre'.
