Irish preposition usage examples

from Beginner’s Irish (Hippocrene) by Gabriel Rosenstock

FAOI : fúm, fút, faoi/fúithi, fúinn, fúibh, fúthu

• Amuigh faoin speir.  Out in the open (i.e. under the sky).
• Chuaigh sí i bhfolach faoin mbord.  She hid under the table.
• Cuir líne faoi.  Underline it.
• Bhí an ghrian ag dul faoi.  The sun was setting.
• Ag lorg an chapaill bháin is an capall bán fút.  Looking for the white horse and the white horse under you (i.e. mounted on the white horse).
• Fiche bliain faoi bhláth.  Twenty years a-blooming.
• Coinnigh an páiste sin faoi smacht.  Keep that child under control.
• Bhí an-luas fúthu.  They were going at great speed.
• Buail fút!  Sit down! (take a seat).
• Tá na caoirigh faoi shneachta.  The sheep are buried in snow.
• Chuir sé faoi i Manchain.  He settled down in Manchester.
• Tá borradh an éin gé fúithi.  She is growing rapidly (like a young goose).
• Mise faoi duit!  I assure you!
• Cad faoi atá sé?  What’s it about?
• Faoi mar a shlogfadh an talamh é!  As though the earth swallowed him!
• Cuireadh faoi scian aréir í.  She was operated on last night.
• Duirt mé leat faoi dhó é.  I told you twice.
• A sé faoi a sé.  Six by six.
• Tríocha faoin gcéad.  Thirty per cent.
• Níl aon Ghaeilge thart faoi seo.  There’s no Irish around here.
• Tá mé an-imníoch fút.  I’m very concerned about you.
• Tháinig siad faoi dheireadh.  They came at last.
• Thug mé fogha faoi.  I lunged at him.
• Níl aon duine ann faoi láthair.  There’s no one there at the moment.
• Ní aontóinn leat faoi sin.  I wouldn’t agree with you about that.
• Fúmsa atá sé anois.  It’s up to me now.
• Chuir sí an t-airgead faoi ghlas.  She locked away the money.
• Ba chóir go mbeadh sé ann faoi seo.  It should be there by now.
• Faoi sholas an lae a tharla sé.  It happened in daylight.
• Bhí Fionn bocht faoi gheasa aici.  Poor Fionn was under her spell.
• (In Ulster you often find fá instead of faoi:  Cad é atá tú ag caint fá dtaobh de?  What are you talking about?)

DE: díom, díot, de/di, dínn, díbh, díobh

• Bain an leabhar sin di.  Take that book from her.
• Tá an cupán greamaithe den bhord.  The cup is stuck to the table.
• Laistiar den teach atá an leithreas.  The toilet is behind the house.
• Duine de lucht RTÉ í sin.  She’s one of the RTÉ crowd.
• Ceannaigh earraí de dhéantús na hÉireann.  Buy Irish-made goods.
• Cailleadh den tart í.  She died of thirst.
• A leitheid de sheafóid!  Such rubbish!
• Níl ach cuid bheag den airgead fágtha.  There’s only a small amount of the money left.
• Thit Micheál den chapall.  Micheal fell off the horse.
• Cuir an dán sin de ghlanmheabhair.  Learn that poem off by heart.
• Bíonn sí ag gearán d’oíche agus de lá.  She never stops complaining (by night and by day).
• Bhí sé de nós acu paidir a rá roimh dhul a luí.  It was customary with them to say a prayer before going to bed.
• Táim bréan de!  I’m fed up with it!
• De réir an tseanchais.  According to tradition.

LE: liom, leat, leis/léi, linn, libh, leo

• Féach anois mé is mo chúl le balla.  Look at mé now with my back to the wall.
• Cuir srian le do theanga!  Control your tongue!
• Thugas mo chúl leo.  I turned my back on them.
• Tá mé ag súil go mór le mo lá breithe.  I’m greatly looking forward to my birthday.
• Ná caith le haill é!  Don’t throw it away!
• Cónaím anois liom féin.  I live alone now.
• Bhí an t-ádh leat, a bhuachaill!  You were lucky, boy!
• Dia go deo linn!  God bless us!
• Iníon léi is ea Bríd.  Brfd is a daughter of hers.
• Bhí an t-ádh dearg léi!  She was really lucky!
• Ní haon mhaith a bheith leo.  There’s no point in being at them. (It’s no good trying to convince them.)
• Leis sin.  Thereupon.
• Le mo linn féin.  During my own time (lifetime).
• I gcomparáid le Síle.  Compared with Síle.
• Chomh dubh le pic.  As black as pitch.
• Imigh leat anois!  Off with you now!
• Le do thoil.  If you please.
• Bhí dán léi ar an bpáipéar scrúdaithe.  There was a poem by her on the exam paper.
• Chuaigh sé le báiní ar fad!  He went crazy!
• Bhí sé ag léim as a chraiceann le háthas.  He was jumping out of his skin with joy.
• Le greann a dúirt sí é.  She said it only in jest.
• Is dóigh liom go bhfuil an ceart agat.  I think you’re right.
• Bí cineálta léi.  Be kind to her.
• Labhróidh mé leat amárach.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
• Ní aontóinn leat!  I wouldn’t agree with you.
• Níl faic le rá aige.  He has nothing to say.

AR: orm, ort, air/uirthi, orainn, oraibh, orthu

• D’imigh sé ar cosa in airde.  He went off at a gallop.
• Tá sé ar fáil ar cíos.  It’s available to rent.
• Ar muir is ar tír.  On sea and on land.
• Chuaigh sí ar a glúine.  She went on her knees.
• Bhí an long ar ancaire sa chuan.  The ship was anchored in the harbor.
• Ca bhfuil tú ar scoil?  Where do you go to school?
• Tá sé ar dhuine de na scríbhneoirí is spéisiúla sa tír.  He is one of the most interesting writers in the country.
• A grua ar dhath an róis.  Her cheek the color of a rose.
• Leath a cáil ar fud Chiarraí.  Her fame spread throughout Kerry.
• Bhí sé ar leathshúil.  He had only one eye.
• Ní scarfainn leis ar ór na cruinne.  I wouldn’t part with it for all the gold in the world.
• Ar m’anam!  Upon my soul!
• Chuaigh sé ar oilithreacht go Meice.  He went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
• Ar m’éirí dom ar maidin.  When I got up in the morning.
• Tá dea-chuma air.  It looks good.
• Cuir ort do hata.  Put on your hat.
• Níl aon ráchairt air.  There’s no demand for it.
• Ortsa an milleán!  You’re to blame!
• Tá an ghráin agam ar mheisceoirí.  I hate drunkards.
• Tá tart orm.  I’m thirsty.
• Cén diabhal atá ort!  What the devil is wrong with you!
• Tá deich bpunt agam air.  He owes me ten pounds.
• Ná bí ag ligean ort!  Don’t be pretending!
• Ná tabhair aon aird uirthi!  Don’t mind her!
• Shatail siad orm.  They trampled on me.
• Seinneann sí ar an bpianó.  She plays the piano.
• Theip air.  He failed.
• Cuir glao orm.  Give me a ring.
• Tá an Ghaeilge imithe sa chloigeann air.  Irish has gone to his head.

I : ionam, ionat, ann, inti, ionainn, ionaibh, iontu

• I measc na bplód gan ainm.  Among the crowds without a name.
• Tá sí i bhfad ó bhaile anois.  She’s far from home now.
• Ce atá i bhfeighil na bpáistí?  Who is minding the children?
• Níl tú i bpian, an bhfuil?  You’re not in pain, are you?
• Chuir sí a toil i bhfeidhm orm.  She imposed her will on me.
• Bhí Heloise i ngrá le hAbélard.  Heloïse was in love with Abelard.
• Ce atá i gcumhacht sa tír sin?  Who is in power in that country?
• Scríobhfaidh mé chugat i gceann seachtaine.  I’ll write to you in a week.
• Labhair i gceart!  Speak properly!
• Níl aon mhaith ionat!  You’re no good!
• File maith a bhí inti.  She was a good poet.
• Níl iontu ach paca bligeard!  They’re only a crowd of blackguards!
• Cuir i do mhála é.  Put it in your bag.
• Tá sé ag dul i bhfeabhas.  He’s improving.
• Creidim i nDia an tAthair Uilechumhachtach.  I believe in God the Father Almighty.

IDIR : eadrainn, eadraibh, eatarthu

• Ná bí ag ithe idir bhéilí!  Don’t be eating between meals!
• Idir Doire agus Béal Feirste.  Between Derry and Belfast.
• Ceannaímis eadrainn é.  Let’s buy it between us.
• Eadrainn féin é seo.  This is between ourselves.
• Is beannaithe thú idir mhná.  Blessed art thou among women.
• Bíonn idir fhir agus mhná ann.  Both men and women frequent the place.
• Idir shúgradh is dáiríre.  Half in jest, half in earnest.
• Tá mé idir dhá chomhairle.  I’m between two minds.