HeyRuaHow to say “spruce” in Irish
- Irish:
- pioctha
- English:
- spruce, neat
- Word type:
- adjective
- Sprucer:
- níos pioctha
- Sprucest:
- is pioctha
- Pronunciation:
- “PUK-ha” /pʲɔkə/
What does “pioctha” mean?
“Pioctha” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- spruce
- Neat and smart in appearance, well turned out.Also: dapper, smart, well-groomed, spruced up.
1 other meaning: neat
- 2neat
- Tidy and in good order.Also: tidy, trim.
“Pioctha” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is pioctha after fear (man, masculine), after bean (woman, 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: bean phioctha. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear pioctha.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, pioctha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir phioctha; after other plurals it does not: mná pioctha.
Sprucer, sprucest, very spruce
Tá sé níos pioctha ná a dheartháir. He is smarter looking than his brother.
| sprucer | níos pioctha | in the past tense: ní ba phioctha |
|---|---|---|
| sprucest | is pioctha | in the past tense: ba phioctha |
| as spruce as | chomh pioctha le | no change after chomh |
| very spruce | an-phioctha | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too spruce | róphioctha | ró- lenites |
“Pioctha” 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.
Spruce in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for spruce?
The Irish for spruce is pioctha (pronounced “PUK-ha”). It comes after the noun: fear pioctha, a spruce man; bean phioctha, a spruce woman.
How do you say sprucer and sprucest in Irish?
níos pioctha is sprucer and is pioctha is sprucest. In the past tense they become ní ba phioctha and ba phioctha.
Why does pioctha become phioctha?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean phioctha (a spruce woman) but fear pioctha (a spruce man), because fear is masculine.
How do you say very spruce in Irish?
an-phioctha. Too spruce is róphioctha, and as spruce as is chomh pioctha le.
Does pioctha have more than one meaning?
Yes. Pioctha can mean spruce or neat, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Is 'pioctha' related to the verb 'pioc'?
Yes, 'pioctha' is the past participle of 'pioc' (pick, pluck), so it literally means 'picked' or 'plucked', and by extension 'trim' or 'spruce'.
