HeyRuaHow to say “wasteful” in Irish
- Irish:
- caifeach
- English:
- wasteful
- Word type:
- adjective
- More wasteful:
- níos caifí
- Most wasteful:
- is caifí
- Plural:
- caifeacha
- Pronunciation:
- “KAW-fukh” /ˈkaːfʲəx/
What does “caifeach” mean?
- wasteful
- Spending money or using things carelessly and too freely.Also: extravagant, prodigal, spendthrift, given to spending.
Other Irish adjectives for wasteful: diomailteach (wasteful)
“Caifeach” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is caifeach after fear (man, masculine), after bean (woman, 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: bean chaifeach. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: fear caifeach.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, caifeacha. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant: fir chaifeacha; after other plurals it does not: mná caifeacha.
More wasteful, most wasteful, very wasteful
Tá sí níos caifí ná a máthair. She is more wasteful than her mother.
| more wasteful | níos caifí | in the past tense: ní ba chaifí |
|---|---|---|
| most wasteful | is caifí | in the past tense: ba chaifí |
| as wasteful as | chomh caifeach le | no change after chomh |
| very wasteful | an-chaifeach | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too wasteful | róchaifeach | ró- lenites |
“Caifeach” 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.
Wasteful in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for wasteful?
The Irish for wasteful is caifeach (pronounced “KAW-fukh”). It comes after the noun: fear caifeach, a wasteful man; bean chaifeach, a wasteful woman.
How do you say more wasteful and most wasteful in Irish?
níos caifí is more wasteful and is caifí is most wasteful. In the past tense they become ní ba chaifí and ba chaifí.
Why does caifeach become chaifeach?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So bean chaifeach (a wasteful woman) but fear caifeach (a wasteful man), because fear is masculine.
What is the plural of caifeach?
With a plural noun caifeach becomes caifeacha: fir chaifeacha, mná caifeacha. After a plural that ends in a slender consonant it is lenited as well.
How do you say very wasteful in Irish?
an-chaifeach. Too wasteful is róchaifeach, and as wasteful as is chomh caifeach le.
What is the opposite of caifeach?
The usual opposite is tíosach or coigilteach, meaning thrifty or economical.
How is caifeach different from flaithiúil?
Flaithiúil means generous in a positive sense, while caifeach is critical and means wasteful or spendthrift.
