HeyRuaHow to say “spiral” in Irish
- Irish:
- bíseach
- English:
- spiral
- Word type:
- adjective
- More spiral:
- níos bísí
- Most spiral:
- is bísí
- Plural:
- bíseacha
- Pronunciation:
- “BEE-shuch” /ˈbʲiːʃəx/
What does “bíseach” mean?
- spiral
- Winding round and round a central point or line, like a screw or a coil.Also: helical, coiled, screw-shaped, winding.
“Bíseach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is bíseach after staighre (stairs, masculine), after líne (line, 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: líne bhíseach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: staighre bíseach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, bíseacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: línte bíseacha.
More spiral, most spiral, very spiral
Tá an staighre seo níos bísí ná an ceann eile. This staircase is more spiral than the other one.
| more spiral | níos bísí | in the past tense: ní ba bhísí |
|---|---|---|
| most spiral | is bísí | in the past tense: ba bhísí |
| as spiral as | chomh bíseach le | no change after chomh |
| very spiral | an-bhíseach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too spiral | róbhíseach | ró- lenites |
“Bíseach” 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.
Spiral in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for spiral?
The Irish for spiral is bíseach (pronounced “BEE-shuch”). It comes after the noun: staighre bíseach, a spiral stairs; líne bhíseach, a spiral line.
How do you say more spiral and most spiral in Irish?
níos bísí is more spiral and is bísí is most spiral. In the past tense they become ní ba bhísí and ba bhísí.
Why does bíseach become bhíseach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So líne bhíseach (a spiral line) but staighre bíseach (a spiral stairs), because staighre is masculine.
What is the plural of bíseach?
With a plural noun bíseach becomes bíseacha: staighrí bíseacha, línte bíseacha.
How do you say very spiral in Irish?
an-bhíseach. Too spiral is róbhíseach, and as spiral as is chomh bíseach le.
Is 'bíseach' the same word as 'biseach'?
No. 'Bíseach', with a long í, is an adjective meaning spiral, from 'bís' (a screw or spiral), while 'biseach', with a short i, is a noun meaning improvement or recovery, as in 'tá biseach air'.
