a
/ə/
The Irish word a is the indefinite article.
The word a is used as an indefinite article before a singular noun that begins with a consonant sound.
How do you pronounce it?
/ə/
Did you know?
- The single letter a can act as a relative particle meaning 'which' or 'that', depending on its placement in a sentence.
- The form of the word a in Irish can actually change the sound of the following consonant, a process known as lenition.
- In some Irish dialects, the word a is used as a reduced form of the older word 'do', which was used in past tense constructions.
Examples in context
- Tá cúpla ag mo mháthair.My mother has a twin.This sentence shows how to use a when referring to a twin.Tatoeba #4062794 by tinybat, translation #4061013 by mervert1
- Bhí liathróid sacair ag Saimí.Sami had a soccer ball.This sentence demonstrates using a with a soccer ball.Tatoeba #7290702 by anrialach, translation #7237955 by OsoHombre
- Tá páirc álainn i lár an bhaile.There is a beautiful park in the center of the town.This sentence illustrates the use of a before a beautiful park.Tatoeba #5015987 by cailleachnangadhair, translation #5678800 by zzxjoanw
- An bhfuil an duine sin ag teacht? Níl.Is that person coming? No.
- Chuaigh sé chuig an trá inniu.He went to the beach today.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Cian and Siobhán are talking about a pet.
- CianAn bhfuil cat ag do chara?Does your friend have a cat?
- SiobhánTá, tá a cat an-mór.Yes, her cat is very big.
- CianAn bhfuil a cat dubh?Is her cat black?
- SiobhánNíl, is cat bán é.No, it is a white cat.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry a, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
