mo dháta breithe
The Irish phrase for "my date of birth" is mo dháta breithe.
When stating a date in Irish, the day is usually mentioned before the month.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word breithe is the genitive form of breith (birth), used here to show the relationship between the date and the birth.
Did you know?
- While mo dháta breithe is used on official forms, a person describing their birth in a narrative would likely use an lá a cuireas mé ar domhan, which means 'the day I was put on earth'.
- The word breithe comes from the root breith, which also refers to a 'judgment' or 'verdict' in legal contexts.
- The word mo meaning 'my' is a possessive adjective that triggers the 'lenition' of the following consonant, which is why dáta becomes dháta in this phrase.
Example conversation
Cathal is filling out a form with Siobhán's help.
- CathalCá bhfuil mo dháta breithe ansin?Where is my date of birth there?
- SiobhánTá sé aniar an fhoirm, a Chathail.It is at the end of the form, Cathal.
- CathalGo raibh maith agat, a Siobhán.Thank you, Siobhán.
- SiobhánNí bhríseann tú an riail anois.You aren't breaking the rule now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
