HeyRuaHow to say “unclear” in Irish
- Irish:
- doiléir
- English:
- unclear, dim
- Word type:
- adjective
- More unclear:
- níos doiléire
- Most unclear:
- is doiléire
- Plural:
- doiléire
- Pronunciation:
- “dih-LAIR” /ˈd̪ˠɪlʲeːɾʲ/
What does “doiléir” mean?
“Doiléir” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- unclear
- Not clear or easy to understand, see or make out.Also: vague, obscure, indistinct, ambiguous.
1 other meaning: dim
- 2dim
- Faint or blurred, so that it is hard to see.Also: blurred, hazy, faint.
Other Irish adjectives for unclear: míshoiléir (unclear)
“Doiléir” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is doiléir after pictiúr (picture, masculine), after tuairim (opinion, 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: tuairim dhoiléir. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: pictiúr doiléir.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, doiléire. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: pictiúir dhoiléire; after other plurals it does not: tuairimí doiléire.
More unclear, most unclear, very unclear
Tá an dara leagan níos doiléire ná an chéad cheann. The second version is less clear than the first one.
| more unclear | níos doiléire | in the past tense: ní ba dhoiléire |
|---|---|---|
| most unclear | is doiléire | in the past tense: ba dhoiléire |
| as unclear as | chomh doiléir le | no change after chomh |
| very unclear | an-doiléir | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too unclear | ródhoiléir | ró- lenites |
“Doiléir” 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.
Unclear in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for unclear?
The Irish for unclear is doiléir (pronounced “dih-LAIR”). It comes after the noun: pictiúr doiléir, an unclear picture; tuairim dhoiléir, an unclear opinion.
How do you say more unclear and most unclear in Irish?
níos doiléire is more unclear and is doiléire is most unclear. In the past tense they become ní ba dhoiléire and ba dhoiléire.
Why does doiléir become dhoiléir?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So tuairim dhoiléir (an unclear opinion) but pictiúr doiléir (an unclear picture), because pictiúr is masculine.
What is the plural of doiléir?
With a plural noun doiléir becomes doiléire: pictiúir dhoiléire, tuairimí doiléire. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very unclear in Irish?
an-doiléir. Too unclear is ródhoiléir, and as unclear as is chomh doiléir le.
Does doiléir have more than one meaning?
Yes. Doiléir can mean unclear or dim, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of doiléir?
The opposite is soiléir, clear: it is the same word with the negative prefix do- replacing so-.
