HeyRuaHow to say “wide” in Irish
- Irish:
- fairsing
- English:
- wide, spacious, plentiful
- Word type:
- adjective
- Wider:
- níos fairsinge
- Widest:
- is fairsinge
- Plural:
- fairsinge
- Pronunciation:
- “FAR-shing” /ˈfˠaɾˠʃɪɲ/
What does “fairsing” mean?
“Fairsing” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- wide
- Covering a large area or range from side to side.Also: broad, extensive, vast.
2 other meanings: spacious or plentiful
- 2spacious
- Having plenty of room inside.Also: roomy, ample.
- 3plentiful
- Existing in large amounts, easy to find.Also: abundant, widespread, common.
Other Irish adjectives for wide: leathan (broad)
“Fairsing” after a noun
An Irish adjective comes after its noun. Here is fairsing after seomra (room, 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 fhairsing. After a masculine noun it stays as it is: seomra fairsing.
With a plural noun the adjective takes its plural form, fairsinge. It also gets an h after a plural that ends in a slender consonant; after other plurals it does not: sráideanna fairsinge.
Wider, widest, very wide
Tá an halla seo níos fairsinge ná an ceann eile. This hall is more spacious than the other one.
| wider | níos fairsinge | in the past tense: ní b'fhairsinge |
|---|---|---|
| widest | is fairsinge | in the past tense: ab fhairsinge |
| as wide as | chomh fairsing le | no change after chomh |
| very wide | an-fhairsing | an- lenites, except d, t and s |
| too wide | rófhairsing | ró- lenites |
“Fairsing” 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.
Wide in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for wide?
The Irish for wide is fairsing (pronounced “FAR-shing”). It comes after the noun: seomra fairsing, a wide room; sráid fhairsing, a wide street.
How do you say wider and widest in Irish?
níos fairsinge is wider and is fairsinge is widest. In the past tense they become ní b'fhairsinge and ab fhairsinge.
Why does fairsing become fhairsing?
After a feminine singular noun an adjective is lenited: it gets an h after its first letter. So sráid fhairsing (a wide street) but seomra fairsing (a wide room), because seomra is masculine.
What is the plural of fairsing?
With a plural noun fairsing becomes fairsinge: seomraí fairsinge, sráideanna fairsinge.
How do you say very wide in Irish?
an-fhairsing. Too wide is rófhairsing, and as wide as is chomh fairsing le.
Does fairsing have more than one meaning?
Yes. Fairsing can mean wide, spacious or plentiful, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'fairsing' and 'leathan'?
'Leathan' means broad in physical width, as in 'bóthar leathan', while 'fairsing' suggests extent, roominess or abundance, as in 'raon fairsing' or 'seomra fairsing'.
How do I say something is widespread?
You can say 'Tá sé fairsing' or use 'forleathan'; 'go fairsing' means widely, as in 'á úsáid go fairsing'.
