HeyRuaHow to say “thin” in Irish
- Irish:
- tanaí
- English:
- thin, shallow, sparse, watery
- Word type:
- adjective
- Thinner:
- níos tanaí
- Thinnest:
- is tanaí
- Pronunciation:
- “ta-NEE” /t̪ˠəˈn̪ˠiː/
What does “tanaí” mean?
“Tanaí” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- thin
- Not thick or not fat; slender or narrow.Also: slim, slender, lean, skinny.
3 other meanings: shallow or sparse or watery
- 2shallow
- Not deep, especially of water.Also: not deep.
- 3sparse
- Thinly spread, with few parts close together, like thin hair or a sparse crowd.Also: thin, scanty.
- 4watery
- Weak or diluted, of a liquid like tea or soup.Also: weak, diluted, thin.
Other Irish adjectives for thin: caol (thin)
“Tanaí” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is tanaí after páipéar (paper, masculine), after féith (vein, 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: féith thanaí. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: páipéar tanaí.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, tanaí. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: páipéir thanaí; after other plurals it does not: féitheacha tanaí.
Thinner, thinnest, very thin
Tá an t-uisce anseo níos tanaí ná sin. The water here is shallower than that.
| thinner | níos tanaí | in the past tense: ní ba thanaí |
|---|---|---|
| thinnest | is tanaí | in the past tense: ba thanaí |
| as thin as | chomh tanaí le | no change after chomh |
| very thin | an-tanaí | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too thin | róthanaí | ró- lenites |
“Tanaí” 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.
Thin in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for thin?
The Irish for thin is tanaí (pronounced “ta-NEE”). It comes after the noun: páipéar tanaí, thin paper; féith thanaí, a thin vein.
How do you say thinner and thinnest in Irish?
níos tanaí is thinner and is tanaí is thinnest. In the past tense they become ní ba thanaí and ba thanaí.
Why does tanaí become thanaí?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So féith thanaí (a thin vein) but páipéar tanaí (thin paper), because páipéar is masculine.
How do you say very thin in Irish?
an-tanaí. Too thin is róthanaí, and as thin as is chomh tanaí le.
Does tanaí have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tanaí can mean thin, shallow, sparse or watery, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'tanaí' and 'caol'?
'Caol' means narrow or slender, often of shape, while 'tanaí' means thin in thickness or body and also shallow, as in 'uisce tanaí'.
