The Definite Article in the Irish Language

The Definite Article refers to the (in English), or an or na in Irish. An may cause lenition, whereas na on the other hand, may cause eclipsis, but the only instance of lenition with na is with the genitive singular of the word céad (first).

There is no indefinite article in Irish. The noun standing alone constitutes an indefinite noun e.g. Tá leabhar agam (I have a book).

In the common case singular, An is used for all nouns and that article lenites feminine nouns. In the genitive singular, an + lenition is used with masculine nouns, whereas it is na with feminine nouns. You can read all about the gender of Irish nouns in my more in-depth piece here.

The below focuses on main rules to do with the article. However, I separately have an in-depth piece on the Initial Mutations: Lenition (Séimhiú) and Eclipsis (Urú) as well which ties into this post (It would just be far too long to post it all in one space).

In this piece, I’ve used information from several grammar sources, including An Caighdeán Oifigiúil (2017) which I will attempt to parse here.

General Rules for Using the Definite Article

The article is written with a small letter in the middle of sentences e.g. Nach raibh tú ag an Oireachtas i mbliana? Bhí aithne mhaith agam ar an Seabhac; except in certain cases such as publication titles e.g., Cé a scríobh An tOileánach?

However, if a title containing an article is written on its own, for example on a public notice or headed paper, always include the article and capitalise it e.g., An Ghníomhaireacht um Thacaíocht Teaghlaigh; Na Coimisinéirí Ioncaim; An Ceoláras Náisiúnta.

A hyphen is put between the preliminary letter t and a vowel, except when the vowel is capitalised e.g., an t-ospidéal; an tAlbanach. A hyphen is not put between the preliminary letter t and s e.g., an tsaoirse; an tSionainn; tús an tsaoil; or between the prefixed letter h and a vowel e.g. na hainmneacha; lár na habairte; stair na hUachtaránachta.

The article is also used in the following cases:

Official Titles

e.g., an tAire Airgeadais, an Príomh-Oifigeach Feidhmiúcháin, an Taoiseach, Ard-Rúnaí na Náisiún Aontaithe.

Titles of Government Departments and State Companies

e.g., an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, an Oifig um Rialú Tobac, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte, an Phríomh-Oifig Staidrimh.

Titles of people before a proper noun

e.g., an tAthair Peadar Ua Laoghaire, an Captaen Ó Murchú, an tUachtarán Mhic Róibín, an Teachta de Barra, an Múinteoir Ailbhe, an Pápa Eoin Pól II, an Rí Anraí VIII.

Festivals

e.g., an Nollaig, an Cháisc, an Carghas.

Note that the article is not used in certain adverbial phrases e.g., faoi Cháisc, um Nollaig, faoi Bhealtaine.

Laethanta na seachtaine

e.g., an Luan, an Mháirt, an Chéadaoin.

Note that the adverb of time Dé is used in place of the article when referring to a particular day e.g., Bhí mé ag caint leis Dé Céadaoin seo caite.

If a preposition is used before certain days, the article merges with the preposition e.g., Ní mór na hiarratais a bheith faighte foin Aoine, an 16 Bealtaine.

Months of the Year

The article is used for the months Márta, Bealtaine, Meitheamh, Samhain and Nollaig. The article is not used for the other months except for the static form san Aibreán.

Dátaí

The article should be used when referring to dates in a sentence.

When the date is by itself – in a letterhead, or as in the date on an invoice or Act etc. – omit the article e.g., 26 Feabhra 2014.

Names of towns, mountains and rivers

• Some cities and towns e.g., an Aithin, na Cealla Beaga, na Gleannta, an tSnaidhm, an Spidéal.
• Certain mountains and cities e.g., na hAindéis, na hAlpa, an Bhograch an Chearc, na Comaraigh, an Earagail, na Himiléithe, an Mhucais
•  Most rivers e.g., an Bhóinn, an Danóib, an Life, an Phó, an Réin, an Róin, an tSéin, an tSionainn, an Tibir

Certain Illnesses

Certain illnesses take the article e.g., an ailse (cancer), an déideadh (toothache), an titimeas (epilepsy), an bhruitíneach (measles).

Languages

The article is placed before languages, for example:

The article should be omitted if referring to the generalised case e.g. Tá Fraincis aici (She has French). Cuir i nGaeilge é (Put it in Irish) rang Iodáilise (Italian class).

Countries

The article accompanies the names of countries and regions if the noun is female and:

1. If it ends with a slender consonant e.g. an Airgintín, an Albáin, an Bhaváir, an Chatalóin, an Eastóin, an Eoraip, an Fhrainc, an Ghearmáin, an Mhacadóin, an Namaib, an Phacastáin, an tSeineagáil, an Spáinn, an tSúdáin;
2. If it ends with -ia e.g. an India, an Laitvia, an tSiria;
3. If it ends with –e, –é e.g., an Chóiré, an Chrimé, an Ghuine, an tSile.

Some names of countries and regions end with a slender consonant but are not accompanied by the article e.g. Bairéin, Beinin, Cuáit, Éimin, Guadalúip, Lichtinstéin, Mósaimbíc, or end with -í in the singular case but are not accompanied by the article e.g. Geansaí, Geirsí, Háití, Haváí, Mailí, Taihítí. Do not use the article except for the genitive in the case of Albain, Éire.

The article does not accompany the names of countries and regions if the noun is masculine and:

• If it ends with a broad consonant e.g., Barbadíd, Eacuadór, Guam, Hondúras, Natal, Óman, Sead, Siam, Suranam;
• If it ends with -eo, -ó, e.g., Boirneo, Maracó, Meicsiceo, Monacó, Samó (exception: an Congó)
• If it ends with -a, -á, -iú, -ua, e.g., Alasca, Ceanada, Cúba, Gána, Meiriceá, Nicearagua, Panama, Papua, Paragua, Peiriú, Sasana.
• If it ends with -ael e.g. Iosrael.

The article accompanies the names of countries and regions that are nouns in the plural case e.g. na hAsóir, na Bahámaí, na Garbhchríocha, na Scigirí.

Prayers and certain battle cries

e.g., an Choróin Mhuire, an Ghlóir, an Dord Fiann.

Distributive Use

The article is used to express a rate when the sense “each one individually” or “per” is meant.

The noun has an abstract or conceptual meaning

Prepositions and the definite article

The article is followed by eclipsis when preceded by certain prepositions e.g. ag, ar, faoi, roimh, chuig, den, don, le, ó, san, thar, trí, um. A word with a vowel is not affected but the t- before a masculine noun beginning with a vowel is dropped e.g. an t-éan (the bird) but leis an éan (with the bird).

• However, words that begin with t- and d- are not eclipsed: ag an doras, ag an tine unless you’re looking to learn Gaelainn Chiarraí (Kerry Irish). If so, you can write ag an ndoras, ag an dtine, ar an dtraen etc.
• As an alternative, if you’re looking to study Ulster Irish, instead of eclipsing, they lenite the noun instead: ag an fhear, ag an bhean.

Further Resources

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