Getting started
Is cailín cliste í
To describe a person’s characteristics, we use the copula structure in Irish.
This means that we use the The name of a thing such as an object, a place or a person. Nouns are often described as naming words. and then the A word used to describe a person or thing..
For example, a tall man is translated as fear ard.
Cén sórt duine tú / é / í? - What type of person are you / he / she?
| I am a friendly person. | Is duine cairdiúil mé. |
| He is a funny person. | Is duine greannmhar é. |
| She is a clever girl. | Is cailín cliste í. |
| I am a friendly person. |
| Is duine cairdiúil mé. |
| He is a funny person. |
| Is duine greannmhar é. |
| She is a clever girl. |
| Is cailín cliste í. |
Is duine greannmhar é
To put these types of descriptions into the negative form, change ‘Is’ to ‘Ní’.
To put these types of descriptions into the question form, change ‘Is’ to ‘An’.
| I am a friendly person. | Is duine cairdiúil mé. |
| I am not a friendly person. | Ní duine cairdiúil mé. |
| Am I a friendly person? | An duine cairdiúil mé? |
| I am a friendly person. |
| Is duine cairdiúil mé. |
| I am not a friendly person. |
| Ní duine cairdiúil mé. |
| Am I a friendly person? |
| An duine cairdiúil mé? |
An duine cairdiúil mé?
The The person or thing in the sentence that is doing the action. used with the copula in Irish include:
| mé | I |
| tú | you |
| é | he |
| í | she |
| muid | we |
| sibh | you (plural) |
| iad | they |
| mé |
| I |
| tú |
| you |
| é |
| he |
| í |
| she |
| muid |
| we |
| sibh |
| you (plural) |
| iad |
| they |
