HeyRuaHow to say “thin” in Irish
- Irish:
- caol
- English:
- thin, narrow, slender (of a vowel or consonant), weak
- Word type:
- adjective
- Thinner:
- níos caoile
- Thinnest:
- is caoile
- Plural:
- caola
- Pronunciation:
- “kweel” /kiːlˠ/
What does “caol” mean?
“Caol” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- thin
- Slim or slender in shape or build.Also: slender, slim, slight.
3 other meanings: narrow or slender (of a vowel or consonant) or weak
- 2narrow
- Not wide; having little width.Also: tight.
- 3slender (of a vowel or consonant)
- In grammar, describes the vowels e and i and the consonants next to them.Also: slender, palatalized.
- 4weak
- Watered down or diluted, as of a drink.Also: diluted, thin.
Other Irish adjectives for thin: tanaí (thin)
“Caol” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is caol after bóthar (road, masculine), after sráid (street, 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: sráid chaol. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: bóthar caol.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, caola. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: sráideanna caola.
Thinner, thinnest, very thin
Tá an droichead seo níos caoile ná an ceann eile. This bridge is narrower than the other one.
| thinner | níos caoile | in the past tense: ní ba chaoile |
|---|---|---|
| thinnest | is caoile | in the past tense: ba chaoile |
| as thin as | chomh caol le | no change after chomh |
| very thin | an-chaol | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too thin | róchaol | ró- lenites |
“Caol” 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 caol (pronounced “kweel”). It comes after the noun: bóthar caol, a thin road; sráid chaol, a thin street.
How do you say thinner and thinnest in Irish?
níos caoile is thinner and is caoile is thinnest. In the past tense they become ní ba chaoile and ba chaoile.
Why does caol become chaol?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So sráid chaol (a thin street) but bóthar caol (a thin road), because bóthar is masculine.
What is the plural of caol?
With a plural noun caol becomes caola: bóithre caola, sráideanna caola.
How do you say very thin in Irish?
an-chaol. Too thin is róchaol, and as thin as is chomh caol le.
Does caol have more than one meaning?
Yes. Caol can mean thin, narrow, slender (of a vowel or consonant) or weak, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between caol and tanaí?
Both can mean thin, but caol stresses slenderness or narrowness (bóthar caol), while tanaí often means thin or shallow (uisce tanaí, páipéar tanaí).
What does caol díreach mean?
Caol díreach means straight or directly, as in chuaigh sé caol díreach abhaile, he went straight home.
