HeyRuaHow to say “urgent” in Irish
- Irish:
- géarghátarach
- English:
- urgent
- Word type:
- adjective
- More urgent:
- níos géarghátaraí
- Most urgent:
- is géarghátaraí
- Plural:
- géarghátaracha
- Pronunciation:
- “GAYR-gaw-tar-akh” /ˈɡʲeːɾˌɣaːt̪ˠəɾˠəx/
What does “géarghátarach” mean?
- urgent
- Needing action or attention very quickly because the need is pressing.Also: pressing, critical, dire, in urgent need.
Other Irish adjectives for urgent: práinneach (urgent)
“Géarghátarach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is géarghátarach after cás (case, masculine), after práinn (urgency, 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: práinn ghéarghátarach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: cás géarghátarach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, géarghátaracha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: práinneacha géarghátaracha.
More urgent, most urgent, very urgent
Tá an fhadhb seo níos géarghátaraí ná an ceann eile. This problem is more urgent than the other one.
| more urgent | níos géarghátaraí | in the past tense: ní ba ghéarghátaraí |
|---|---|---|
| most urgent | is géarghátaraí | in the past tense: ba ghéarghátaraí |
| as urgent as | chomh géarghátarach le | no change after chomh |
| very urgent | an-ghéarghátarach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too urgent | róghéarghátarach | ró- lenites |
“Géarghátarach” 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.
Urgent in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for urgent?
The Irish for urgent is géarghátarach (pronounced “GAYR-gaw-tar-akh”). It comes after the noun: cás géarghátarach, an urgent case; práinn ghéarghátarach, an urgent urgency.
How do you say more urgent and most urgent in Irish?
níos géarghátaraí is more urgent and is géarghátaraí is most urgent. In the past tense they become ní ba ghéarghátaraí and ba ghéarghátaraí.
Why does géarghátarach become ghéarghátarach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So práinn ghéarghátarach (an urgent urgency) but cás géarghátarach (an urgent case), because cás is masculine.
What is the plural of géarghátarach?
With a plural noun géarghátarach becomes géarghátaracha: cásanna géarghátaracha, práinneacha géarghátaracha.
How do you say very urgent in Irish?
an-ghéarghátarach. Too urgent is róghéarghátarach, and as urgent as is chomh géarghátarach le.
What is the difference between 'géarghátarach' and 'práinneach'?
Both can mean urgent, but 'práinneach' is the everyday word, while 'géarghátarach' stresses dire need, as in 'riachtanas géarghátarach' (urgent need).
