HeyRuaHow to say “small bird” in Irish
- Irish:
- mionéan
- English:
- small bird
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine
- Pronunciation:
- “MIN-ayn” /ˈmʲɪnʲeːn̪ˠ/
- Plural:
- mionéin (small birds)
- Genitive singular:
- mionéin, an mhionéin (e.g. nead an mhionéin, the small bird's nest)
- Genitive plural:
- mionéan, na mionéan (e.g. ceol na mionéan, the song of the small birds)
What does “mionéan” mean?
- small bird
- Any small bird, such as a sparrow, finch or other little songbird.Also: little bird, songbird, dickybird.
“Mionéan” with the article
The plural of small bird in Irish is mionéin. Here is mionéan after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Mionéan” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using mionéan, the Irish word for small bird.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Small bird in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for small bird?
The Irish for small bird is mionéan (pronounced “MIN-ayn”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is mionéin.
How do you pronounce mionéan in Irish?
Mionéan is said like “MIN-ayn” (IPA /ˈmʲɪnʲeːn̪ˠ/).
What is the plural of small bird in Irish?
The plural of mionéan is mionéin; with the article, na mionéin means “the small birds”. The genitive plural is mionéan, as in ceol na mionéan (the song of the small birds).
Why does mionéan change to mhionéan?
After words like mo (my) and do (your) the first letter is lenited: mo mhionéan. After ár (our) it stays ár mionéan, because m does not take eclipsis.
How is 'mionéan' formed?
It combines the prefix 'mion-' (small, minor) with 'éan' (bird), so 'mionéan' means a small bird, often songbirds generally.
