HeyRuaHow to say “rough” in Irish
- Irish:
- garbh
- English:
- rough, harsh, approximate
- Word type:
- adjective
- Rougher:
- níos gairbhe
- Roughest:
- is gairbhe
- Plural:
- garbha
- Pronunciation:
- “GAR-uv” /ˈɡaɾˠəvˠ/
What does “garbh” mean?
“Garbh” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- rough
- Having an uneven or coarse surface, not smooth.Also: coarse, uneven, rugged.
3 other meanings: harsh or approximate
- 2rough
- Stormy or wild, used of weather or the sea.Also: stormy, wild, choppy.
- 3harsh
- Rude, crude or harsh in manner or speech.Also: rude, crude, gruff.
- 4approximate
- Not exact, only roughly worked out.Also: rough, estimated.
Other Irish adjectives for rough: garg (rough), neamhchothrom (uneven)
“Garbh” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is garbh after talamh (ground, masculine), after farraige (sea, 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: farraige gharbh. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: talamh garbh.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, garbha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: farraigí garbha.
Rougher, roughest, very rough
Tá an t-éadach seo níos gairbhe ná an ceann eile. This cloth is rougher than the other one.
| rougher | níos gairbhe | in the past tense: ní ba ghairbhe |
|---|---|---|
| roughest | is gairbhe | in the past tense: ba ghairbhe |
| as rough as | chomh garbh le | no change after chomh |
| very rough | an-gharbh | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too rough | rógharbh | ró- lenites |
“Garbh” 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.
Rough in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for rough?
The Irish for rough is garbh (pronounced “GAR-uv”). It comes after the noun: talamh garbh, a rough ground; farraige gharbh, a rough sea.
How do you say rougher and roughest in Irish?
níos gairbhe is rougher and is gairbhe is roughest. In the past tense they become ní ba ghairbhe and ba ghairbhe.
Why does garbh become gharbh?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So farraige gharbh (a rough sea) but talamh garbh (a rough ground), because talamh is masculine.
What is the plural of garbh?
With a plural noun garbh becomes garbha: tailte garbha, farraigí garbha.
How do you say very rough in Irish?
an-gharbh. Too rough is rógharbh, and as rough as is chomh garbh le.
Does garbh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Garbh can mean rough, harsh or approximate, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of garbh?
For surfaces the opposite is 'mín' (smooth), and for the sea or weather it is 'ciúin' (calm) or 'réidh'.
How do I say a rough estimate?
Say 'meastachán garbh', using garbh in its sense of approximate.
