am
/aumˠ/
am is the Irish word for time.
The word am is used as a noun to refer to a measurement of a quantity of time.
Meaning: measurement of a quantity of time (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
While am refers to time in general, note that the standard Irish word for morning is maidin.
How does it change in a sentence?
In certain contexts, the word changes to its genitive form ama. This occurs when expressing a sense of 'of time', such as after certain prepositions or when using the definite article an to mean 'the time' in possessive or prepositional contexts (e.g., an ama).
How do you pronounce it?
/aumˠ/
Did you know?
- In Irish, you do not 'spend' time using a word for 'spending money', but instead use the verb caithe, which literally means 'to wear out' or 'to use up'.
- The word am is distinct from aimsir, which refers to 'weather' or 'a period of time', meaning the Irish have two separate words for 'time' depending on the scale.
- While am is the general word for 'time', the word uair is used specifically for 'time' when counting hours or occurrences, such as saying 'three times'.
Examples in context
- Caitheann Tomás an iomarca ama ag obair.Tom spends too much time at work.This example shows how to use am when talking about spending time.Tatoeba #4062788 by tinybat, translation #4061551 by CK
- In am is i dtráth.All in good time.This example illustrates a common idiom regarding timing.Tatoeba #6319325 by BasicDeer, translation #1126718 by AlanF_US
- Ná déan dhá rud ag an am céanna.Don't do two things at a time.This example demonstrates using am to mean 'at a time'.Tatoeba #625515 by niq, translation #280313 by CM
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Cathal and Aoife are talking about a meeting.
- CathalAn bhfuil am agat anocht, a Aoife?Do you have time tonight, Aoife?
- AoifeTá, ach níl mór an ama agam.Yes, but I don't have much time.
- CathalNí thógfar mór an ama uait.It won't take much time from you.
- AoifeCeart go leor, feicfidh mé tú.All right, I will see you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry am, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
