HeyRuaHow to say “short” in Irish
- Irish:
- gearr
- English:
- short, near
- Word type:
- adjective
- Shorter:
- níos giorra
- Shortest:
- is giorra
- Plural:
- gearra
- Pronunciation:
- “gyar” /ɟɑːɾˠ/
What does “gearr” mean?
“Gearr” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- short
- Not long in length, distance or duration.Also: brief, not long.
1 other meaning: near
- 2near
- Close by in distance or time.Also: close, nearby.
Other Irish adjectives for short: gairid (short)
“Gearr” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is gearr after scéal (story, masculine), after abairt (sentence, 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: abairt ghearr. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: scéal gearr.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, gearra. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: abairtí gearra.
Shorter, shortest, very short
Tá an bóthar seo níos giorra ná an ceann eile. This road is shorter than the other one.
| shorter | níos giorra | in the past tense: ní ba ghiorra |
|---|---|---|
| shortest | is giorra | in the past tense: ba ghiorra |
| as short as | chomh gearr le | no change after chomh |
| very short | an-ghearr | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too short | róghearr | ró- lenites |
“Gearr” 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.
Short in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for short?
The Irish for short is gearr (pronounced “gyar”). It comes after the noun: scéal gearr, a short story; abairt ghearr, a short sentence.
How do you say shorter and shortest in Irish?
níos giorra is shorter and is giorra is shortest. In the past tense they become ní ba ghiorra and ba ghiorra.
Why does gearr become ghearr?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So abairt ghearr (a short sentence) but scéal gearr (a short story), because scéal is masculine.
What is the plural of gearr?
With a plural noun gearr becomes gearra: scéalta gearra, abairtí gearra.
How do you say very short in Irish?
an-ghearr. Too short is róghearr, and as short as is chomh gearr le.
Does gearr have more than one meaning?
Yes. Gearr can mean short or near, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between gearr and gairid?
Both mean short, but gairid is used especially for time, as in 'le gairid' (recently), while gearr is the general word, as in 'gruaig ghearr' (short hair).
