Irish/Prepositions

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The following tables show the most common Irish prepositions, the initial mutations they cause on the following word, and how they combine with personal pronouns. It is based on Standard Irish, the details vary in dialects.

For mutations after a preposition and the singular article "an", the official standard contains two different systems. The tables below include both variants. You can freely choose which one to use, but you should stay consistent and pick only one of them.

  • CL: The Córas Lárnach is closer to the dialects in Connacht and Munster (mostly eclipses, but lenites for some prepositions)
  • CS: The Córas an tSéimhithe is closer to the dialects in Ulster (only lenites, never eclipses)

The possible mutations on the following word are displayed in the table as follows:

  • L: Lenition (séimhiú)
  • E: Eclipsis (urú)
  • ts: Words that begin with "s" are prefixed with a "t". In the mutated word, the "s" is written only to show the base form of the word, but it is silent (i.e. only "t" is pronounced).
  • ts (fem.): Same as above, but only for feminine nouns. Masculine nouns stay unmutated.
  • - (d, t): Words beginning with "d" or "t" are not mutated.
  • hV: Words that begin with a vowel are prefixed with a "h".
Irish ag ar as chuig de do faoi
English at on from/out of to of/off to/for under/about
Special form before vowel sounds [note 1] - - - - d' d' -
Mutations without article - L - - L L L
Form with article ag an ar an as an chuig an den don faoin
Mutations with article (CL) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) L, ts (fem.), - (d, t) L, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t)
Mutations with article (CS) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t)
+ mé agam orm asam chugam díom dom fúm
+ tú agat ort asat chugat díot duit fút
+ sé aige air as chuige de faoi
+ sí aici uirthi aisti chuici di fúithi
+ muid/sinn againn orainn asainn chugainn dínn dúinn fúinn
+ sibh agaibh oraibh asaibh chugaibh díbh daoibh fúibh
+ siad acu orthu astu chucu díobh dóibh fúthu
Irish gan i idir le ó roimh thar trí
English without in between with from before over/past through
Special form before vowel sounds [note 2] - in - - - - - -
Mutations without article (L) E (L) hV L L L L
Form with article gan an sa, san [note 3] idir an leis an ón roimh an thar an tríd an
Mutations with article (CL) - L, ts (f), - (d, t) - E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t) E, ts (fem.), - (d, t)
Mutations with article (CS) - L, ts, - (d, t) - L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t) L, ts, - (d, t)
+ mé - ionam - liom uaim romham tharam tríom
+ tú - ionat - leat uait romhat tharat tríot
+ sé - ann - leis uaidh roimhe thairis tríd
+ sí - inti - léi uaithi roimpi thairti tríthi
+ muid/sinn - ionainn eadrainn linn uainn romhainn tharainn trínn
+ sibh - ionaibh eadraibh libh uaibh romhaibh tharaibh tríbh
+ siad - iontu eatarthu leo uathu rompu thartu tríothu
  1. This includes words starting with a vowel letter as well as words that start with a silent "fh" followed by a vowel
  2. This includes words starting with a vowel letter as well as words that start with a silent "fh" followed by a vowel
  3. "san" is used before a vowel sound

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