HeyRuaHow to say “unfortunate” in Irish
- Irish:
- mífhortúnach
- English:
- unfortunate
- Word type:
- adjective
- More unfortunate:
- níos mífhortúnaí
- Most unfortunate:
- is mífhortúnaí
- Plural:
- mífhortúnacha
- Pronunciation:
- “mee-ORT-oo-nukh” /ˈmʲiːˌoːɾˠt̪ˠuːn̪ˠəx/
What does “mífhortúnach” mean?
- unfortunate
- Unlucky, or happening because of bad luck in a way that is regrettable.Also: unlucky, ill-fated, regrettable.
Other Irish adjectives for unfortunate: mí-ámharach (unlucky)
“Mífhortúnach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is mífhortúnach after fear (man, masculine), after eachtra (adventure, 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: eachtra mhífhortúnach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear mífhortúnach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, mífhortúnacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir mhífhortúnacha; after other plurals it does not: eachtraí mífhortúnacha.
More unfortunate, most unfortunate, very unfortunate
Bhí an dara foireann níos mífhortúnaí ná sinne. The second team was more unfortunate than us.
| more unfortunate | níos mífhortúnaí | in the past tense: ní ba mhífhortúnaí |
|---|---|---|
| most unfortunate | is mífhortúnaí | in the past tense: ba mhífhortúnaí |
| as unfortunate as | chomh mífhortúnach le | no change after chomh |
| very unfortunate | an-mhífhortúnach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too unfortunate | rómhífhortúnach | ró- lenites |
“Mífhortúnach” 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.
Unfortunate in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for unfortunate?
The Irish for unfortunate is mífhortúnach (pronounced “mee-ORT-oo-nukh”). It comes after the noun: fear mífhortúnach, an unfortunate man; eachtra mhífhortúnach, an unfortunate adventure.
How do you say more unfortunate and most unfortunate in Irish?
níos mífhortúnaí is more unfortunate and is mífhortúnaí is most unfortunate. In the past tense they become ní ba mhífhortúnaí and ba mhífhortúnaí.
Why does mífhortúnach become mhífhortúnach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So eachtra mhífhortúnach (an unfortunate adventure) but fear mífhortúnach (an unfortunate man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of mífhortúnach?
With a plural noun mífhortúnach becomes mífhortúnacha: fir mhífhortúnacha, eachtraí mífhortúnacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very unfortunate in Irish?
an-mhífhortúnach. Too unfortunate is rómhífhortúnach, and as unfortunate as is chomh mífhortúnach le.
What is the difference between 'mífhortúnach' and 'mí-ámharach'?
Both mean unlucky or unfortunate; 'mí-ámharach' is the more common everyday word, while 'mífhortúnach' often describes regrettable events or outcomes.
