HeyRuaHow to say “scarce” in Irish
- Irish:
- tearc
- English:
- scarce, scanty
- Word type:
- adjective
- Scarcer:
- níos teirce
- Scarcest:
- is teirce
- Plural:
- tearca
- Pronunciation:
- “chark” /tʲaɾˠk/
What does “tearc” mean?
“Tearc” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- scarce
- Existing only in small numbers or amounts, hard to find.Also: few, rare, few and far between.
1 other meaning: scanty
- 2scanty
- Not enough in amount; meagre or sparse.Also: sparse, meagre, scant, thin.
Other Irish adjectives for scarce: gann (scarce)
“Tearc” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is tearc after bia (food, masculine), after aimsir (weather, 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: aimsir thearc. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: bia tearc.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, tearca. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: aimsirí tearca.
Scarcer, scarcest, very scarce
Tá uisce níos teirce i mbliana ná riamh. Water is scarcer this year than ever.
| scarcer | níos teirce | in the past tense: ní ba theirce |
|---|---|---|
| scarcest | is teirce | in the past tense: ba theirce |
| as scarce as | chomh tearc le | no change after chomh |
| very scarce | an-tearc | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too scarce | róthearc | ró- lenites |
“Tearc” 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.
Scarce in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for scarce?
The Irish for scarce is tearc (pronounced “chark”). It comes after the noun: bia tearc, scarce food; aimsir thearc, scarce weather.
How do you say scarcer and scarcest in Irish?
níos teirce is scarcer and is teirce is scarcest. In the past tense they become ní ba theirce and ba theirce.
Why does tearc become thearc?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So aimsir thearc (scarce weather) but bia tearc (scarce food), because bia is masculine.
What is the plural of tearc?
With a plural noun tearc becomes tearca: bianna tearca, aimsirí tearca.
How do you say very scarce in Irish?
an-tearc. Too scarce is róthearc, and as scarce as is chomh tearc le.
Does tearc have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tearc can mean scarce or scanty, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'tearc' and 'gann'?
Both mean scarce, but 'gann' is the everyday word (Tá airgead gann), while 'tearc' is more literary and often means few in number.
