HeyRuaHow to say “silent” in Irish
- Irish:
- tostach
- English:
- silent, taciturn, tacit
- Word type:
- adjective
- More silent:
- níos tostaí
- Most silent:
- is tostaí
- Plural:
- tostacha
- Pronunciation:
- “TUS-tukh” /ˈt̪ˠɔsˠt̪ˠəx/
What does “tostach” mean?
“Tostach” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- silent
- Not speaking or making any sound.Also: quiet, mute, speechless.
2 other meanings: taciturn or tacit
- 2taciturn
- Describes a person who usually says very little.Also: reserved, uncommunicative, reticent.
- 3tacit
- Understood or agreed without being said out loud.Also: unspoken, implicit.
Other Irish adjectives for silent: ciúin (quiet)
“Tostach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is tostach after fear (man, masculine), after oíche (night, 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: oíche thostach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear tostach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, tostacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir thostacha; after other plurals it does not: oícheanta tostacha.
More silent, most silent, very silent
Tá Seán níos tostaí ná a dheartháir. Seán is quieter than his brother.
| more silent | níos tostaí | in the past tense: ní ba thostaí |
|---|---|---|
| most silent | is tostaí | in the past tense: ba thostaí |
| as silent as | chomh tostach le | no change after chomh |
| very silent | an-tostach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too silent | róthostach | ró- lenites |
“Tostach” 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.
Silent in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for silent?
The Irish for silent is tostach (pronounced “TUS-tukh”). It comes after the noun: fear tostach, a silent man; oíche thostach, a silent night.
How do you say more silent and most silent in Irish?
níos tostaí is more silent and is tostaí is most silent. In the past tense they become ní ba thostaí and ba thostaí.
Why does tostach become thostach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So oíche thostach (a silent night) but fear tostach (a silent man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of tostach?
With a plural noun tostach becomes tostacha: fir thostacha, oícheanta tostacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very silent in Irish?
an-tostach. Too silent is róthostach, and as silent as is chomh tostach le.
Does tostach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tostach can mean silent, taciturn or tacit, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'tostach' and 'ciúin'?
'Ciúin' is the everyday word for quiet or calm, used of people, places and weather, while 'tostach' stresses silence, not speaking, as in 'fear tostach', a man of few words.
Which noun is 'tostach' related to?
It comes from 'tost', silence; 'bí i do thost' means 'be quiet'.
