Feminine nouns
Ainmearan boireann
In the genitive case, feminine nouns take a straightforward definite article, either na h- before a vowel, or na before a consonant. Feminine nouns don't lenite in the genitive. They slenderise where not already slender and add an e . A number of common feminine words have an irregular genitive form which we need to learn. And again, a good dictionary is a must!
Feminine nouns
| CONSONANTS | na | na maidne (of the morning) na cloinne (of the children) na s òfa (of the sofa) na g araids (of the garage) |
| VOWELS | na h- | na h-u inneige (of the window) na h-o ifise (of the office) |
Feminine nouns
| NOMINATIVE | DATIVE | GENITIVE |
| an uinneag | aig an uinneig | gleans na h-uinneige |
| the window | at the window | (a/the) shine of the window |
| an oifis | anns an oifis | doras na h-oifise |
| the office | in the office | (a/the) door of the office |
| an leabaidh | air an leabaidh | oir na leapa |
| the bed | on the bed | (a/the) edge of the bed |
| a' chathair | air a' chathair | cas na cathrach |
| the chair | on the chair | (a/the) leg of the chair |
And in this last conversation, we saw:
| Dè an dath a tha air an uinneig sin? | What colour is that window? |
| 'S e orainds dath na h-uinneige. | Orange is the colour of the window |
| NOMINATIVE | DATIVE | GENITIVE |
| an uinneag | air an uinneig | dath na h-uinneige |
| the window | on the window | (a/the) colour of the window |
That's quite a lot to learn! But don't worry, with a little practice, these will become easier. And a good dictionary is indispensable!