An Tuiseal Ginideach (The Genitive Case) (Junior Cert Irish): Revision Notes
An Tuiseal Ginideach - The Genitive Case
💡 What Is the Genitive Case?
The Genitive Case shows ownership or relationship between two nouns when they come together — just like "of the" or apostrophe-s in English.
Example:
hata an fhir = the man's hat (literally "hat of the man")
💡 When Do We Use the Genitive Case?
You use it:
When one noun belongs to another cóta an bhuachaill = the boy's coat
Talking about types of things cupán tae = a cup of tea
Using compound phrases doras an tí = the house's door
After many prepositions + article os comhair an tí = in front of the house
After numbers (when counting people, especially "beirt, triúr, etc.") beirt bhuachaillí = two boys
In certain time expressions maidin an lae = the morning of the day
With measure/quantity words píosa cáca = a piece of cake
In some set phrases Bean an Tí = the woman of the house
🔁 What Changes in the Genitive Case?
- The second noun changes form (genitive form).
- The article (an) may trigger a séimhiú (h) or urú.
- Word order flips
✅ Regular Genitive Rules & Examples
| Gender | Nominative (normal) | Genitive Form | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | fear (man) | fir | hata an fhir | the man's hat |
| Feminine | bean (woman) | mná | carr na mná | the woman's car |
| Masculine | páiste (child) | páiste | bréagán an pháiste | the child's toy |
| Feminine | scoil (school) | scoile | doras na scoile | the school's door |
💡 How to Spot the Gender for Genitive
Good question — because in practice, Junior Cert students usually struggle less with when to use the genitive, and more with what form the word takes depending on gender. Here's a clear, student-friendly breakdown you could add to your note:
How to Spot the Gender for Genitive
1. Masculine Nouns
- In the genitive singular, masculine nouns usually slim down (final broad consonant becomes slender).
- buachaill → cóta an bhuachalla (the boy's coat)
- fear → hata an fhir (the man's hat)
- After the article an, they usually take a séimhiú in the genitive.
- bád → bord an bháid (the boat's table)
- leabhar → clúdach an leabhair (the book's cover)
2. Feminine Nouns
- In the genitive singular, feminine nouns usually broaden (final slender consonant becomes broad, often adding –a).
- bean → cóta na mná (the woman's coat)
- sráid → lár na sráide (the middle of the street)
- After the article na, they usually take a séimhiú (unless starting with d, t, s).
- tigh → doras na tí (the house's door)
- cailín → ainm na cailíne (the girl's name)
3. Plural Nouns (All genders)
- Use na for the article.
- If the plural ends in a vowel, add –n.
- carr → doras na gcarraí (the cars' door)
- leabhar → clúdach na leabhar (the books' cover)
- fuinneog → dath na bhfuinneog (the colour of the windows)
Remember:
- Masculine = slender ending in genitive
- Feminine = broad ending in genitive
- Plural = na + urú (if possible)
✏️ Key Grammar Tips
- Masculine genitive: often adds a slender vowel (broad → slender)
- bád → báid
- Feminine genitive: often adds -e or a
- scoil → scoile → na scoile