Prepositional Pronouns in Irish

In Brief

In Irish, a preposition and a personal pronoun normally combine into one word: ag + mé becomes agam (“at me”), and le + tú becomes leat (“with you”). These forms are essential because Irish uses them in everyday expressions such as Tá leabhar agam (“I have a book”), Tá brón orm (“I am sorry”), and Is maith liom é (“I like it”).

Overview

A preposition is a short word that expresses a relationship such as “at,” “on,” “with,” or “from.” A pronoun is a word that stands for a person or thing, such as “I,” “you,” or “they.” When an Irish preposition refers directly to a pronoun, the two usually fuse into a prepositional pronoun (forainm réamhfhoclach): instead of saying the equivalents of “at me” as two separate words, Irish says agam.

English has no close equivalent to this system. English keeps “with” and “me” separate; Irish changes le into liom. The result behaves rather like a conjugated verb: each person has a different form. The endings are not completely predictable, so it is best to learn each common preposition as a short seven-part pattern.

This is introduced at A1 because these forms appear in some of the most useful Irish sentences. They express possession, feelings, knowledge, ability, wishes, names, and personal relationships. The beginner goal is not to memorise every possible preposition immediately. Start with ag, ar, le, and do, then add the other sets as you meet them.

How It Works

The seven persons

Irish distinguishes three singular persons and three plural persons, but the third-person singular has separate masculine and feminine forms. That gives seven forms in each set.

Person	Independent pronoun	Meaning
1st singular	mé	me
2nd singular	tú	you (one person)
3rd singular masculine	sé	him
3rd singular feminine	sí	her
1st plural	muid / sinn	us
2nd plural	sibh	you (more than one person)
3rd plural	siad	them

The labels “first,” “second,” and “third person” simply mean the speaker, the person addressed, and anyone else. In a prepositional-pronoun construction, do not place the independent pronouns from this table after the preposition.

• ag + mé → agam, not ag mé
• ar + tú → ort, not ar tú
• le + sí → léi, not le sí

Four essential sets

These four paradigms (complete sets of forms) cover a large share of beginner Irish.

Person	ag “at”	ar “on”	le “with”	do “to/for”
me	agam	orm	liom	dom
you (singular)	agat	ort	leat	duit
him	aige	air	leis	dó
her	aici	uirthi	léi	di
us	againn	orainn	linn	dúinn
you (plural)	agaibh	oraibh	libh	daoibh
them	acu	orthu	leo	dóibh

Learn the forms as spoken sequences: agam, agat, aige, aici, againn, agaibh, acu. This is more reliable than trying to build each one from a rule.

ag: possession and knowledge

Irish does not use a direct equivalent of English “have” for ordinary possession. It says that something “is at” someone:

Tá + thing possessed + ag-form.

• Tá leabhar agam. — I have a book.
• Tá carr acu. — They have a car.

A similar fixed expression uses a fhios (“knowledge”): Tá a fhios aici means “She knows.” The person who knows is expressed by the ag-form.

ar: states experienced “on” someone

Many physical and emotional states are presented as something being “on” a person:

Tá + state + ar-form.

• Tá áthas orm. — I am happy.
• Tá eagla orthu. — They are afraid.
• Tá slaghdán air. — He has a cold.

Do not translate this word by word when speaking English. Learn the whole Irish pattern as the natural way to describe the state.

le: liking, ability, and accompaniment

The ordinary meaning of le is “with”: Tar liom means “Come with me.” It also belongs to several high-frequency expressions:

• Is maith liom tae. — I like tea.
• Ba mhaith léi caife. — She would like coffee.
• Is féidir linn fanacht. — We can stay.

These are not literal copies of English “like,” “would like,” or “can.” The person is marked by a form of le.

do: giving, names, and obligation

Forms of do often identify a recipient or beneficiary—the person to whom or for whom something applies:

• Thug sé dom é. — He gave it to me.
• Rinne mé duit é. — I did it for you.
• Seán is ainm dó. — His name is Seán.
• Ní mór dúinn imeacht. — We must leave.

Other common sets

Once the first four sets are familiar, these forms greatly expand what you can understand and say.

Person	ó “from”	de “of/off/from”	faoi “under/about”	i “in”
me	uaim	díom	fúm	ionam
you (singular)	uait	díot	fút	ionat
him	uaidh	de	faoi	ann
her	uaithi	di	fúithi	inti
us	uainn	dínn	fúinn	ionainn
you (plural)	uaibh	díbh	fúibh	ionaibh
them	uathu	díobh	fúthu	iontu

The form ann can mean “in him,” but it is also widely used impersonally for “in it” or “there”: Tá bainne ann can mean “There is milk” or “There is milk in it,” depending on context. Irish has no separate neuter pronoun matching English “it,” so context is important.

Two more useful sets occur with time, position, and movement:

Person	roimh “before/in front of”	trí “through”
me	romham	tríom
you (singular)	romhat	tríot
him	roimhe	tríd
her	roimpi	tríthi
us	romhainn	trínn
you (plural)	romhaibh	tríbh
them	rompu	tríothu

A practical sentence-building method

When you want to make a sentence, work in three steps:

1. Choose the expression: Tá ... ag for possession, Tá ... ar for many states, or Is maith le for liking.
2. Identify the person: me, you, him, her, us, you all, or them.
3. Replace the preposition with the matching fused form: ag + muid → againn, ar + sí → uirthi, le + siad → leo.

For example, start with Is maith le ... an ceol. If “they” like the music, le + siad becomes leo: Is maith leo an ceol.

Examples in Context

Irish	English	Note
Tá leabhar agam.	I have a book.	Possession with ag
Tá dhá chat acu.	They have two cats.	The owners are plural
Tá a fhios aige cá bhfuil sí.	He knows where she is.	Fixed a fhios ag expression
Tá brón orm.	I am sorry.	Literally, sorrow is “on me”
Tá tinneas cinn uirthi.	She has a headache.	A physical state with ar
An bhfuil ocras oraibh?	Are you all hungry?	Plural you
Is maith liom é.	I like it.	Liking with le
Ní maith léi caife.	She does not like coffee.	Feminine léi
Ba mhaith linn bord do bheirt.	We would like a table for two.	Polite request with linn
Is féidir leo Gaeilge a labhairt.	They can speak Irish.	Ability with le
Tabhair dom an t-uisce, le do thoil.	Give me the water, please.	Recipient with do
Máire is ainm di.	Her name is Máire.	Naming pattern with do
Fuair mé litir uaidh.	I received a letter from him.	Source with ó
Tá sí ag caint fúthu.	She is talking about them.	Topic with faoi
Tá misneach ionat.	You have courage in you.	i + singular “you”

Common Mistakes

Keeping the preposition and pronoun separate

• Wrong: Tá leabhar ag mé.
• Right: Tá leabhar agam.
• Why: A simple preposition followed directly by a personal pronoun normally requires the fused form.

Using agam for every English use of “have”

• Wrong: Tá ocras agam.
• Right: Tá ocras orm.
• Why: Possessions are generally “at” a person, but hunger, fear, sadness, illness, and many other experienced states are “on” a person. Learn the noun together with its preposition: ocras ar, eagla ar, brón ar.

Treating liom as an Irish verb meaning “like”

• Wrong: Liom caife.
• Right: Is maith liom caife.
• Why: liom means “with me.” The complete expression Is maith liom ... conveys “I like ...”; neither part can normally be omitted.

Confusing masculine and feminine forms

• Wrong: Tá a fhios aici when referring to a man.
• Right: Tá a fhios aige.
• Why: Several sets distinguish “him” and “her”: aige/aici, air/uirthi, leis/léi, dó/di. Learn these as pairs.

Reading sibh forms as singular “you”

• Wrong: using agaibh for one person.
• Right: use agat for one person and agaibh for more than one.
• Why: Modern standard Irish uses tú for singular “you” and sibh for plural “you,” and the prepositional forms preserve that distinction.

Usage Notes

Prepositional pronouns are normal in both speech and writing; they are not formal alternatives to simpler constructions. In fact, avoiding them makes even basic Irish difficult, because many everyday meanings are organised around prepositions rather than around direct equivalents of English verbs.

The English translation can hide the underlying Irish structure. Tá cóta orm may be translated as “I am wearing a coat,” Tá airgead agam as “I have money,” and Is féidir liom dul as “I can go.” When learning vocabulary, record the Irish frame rather than only the polished English translation.

Standard written forms are shown here. Pronunciation and some forms vary among Ulster, Connacht, and Munster speakers. Such variation is a normal part of Irish, but beginners can safely use the standard spelling while learning from speakers of a chosen dialect. Notice also the written accents in pairs such as leis/léi and do/dó: the accent can distinguish forms and should not be dropped.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following details at A1, but you will see them later.

Emphatic forms

Irish can attach an emphatic ending when it needs to stress or contrast the person. Compare agam (“at me”) with agamsa (“at me”). Common examples include agatsa (“at you”), aigesean (“at him”), aicise (“at her”), againne (“at us”), agaibhse (“at you all”), and acusan (“at them”). Similar endings occur with other prepositional pronouns: liomsa, leatsa, linne, and leosan.

• Tá carr agamsa, ach níl carr aigesean. — I have a car, but he does not.

The ending carries the emphasis, so Irish does not need to add a separate independent pronoun merely to copy English stress.

Pronouns inside longer prepositions

Compound prepositions (multiword expressions functioning as one preposition) often end in a simple preposition whose pronoun changes. For example:

• in aice liom — beside me
• os mo chomhair — in front of me
• ina dhiaidh — after him

These patterns are not all formed in the same way: some use a prepositional pronoun, while others use a possessive adjective such as mo (“my”) or a (“his/her/their”). Learn each compound expression with the form it governs rather than assuming that every English “me” requires liom.

Verb–preposition partnerships

At higher levels, many verbs select a particular preposition, and that preposition fuses with a pronominal object. Here “object” means the person or thing affected by or linked to the action.

• Cuir ceist air. — Ask him a question.
• D'fhéach sí orm. — She looked at me.
• Éist leo. — Listen to them.
• Smaoinigh mé uirthi. — I thought about her.

The best learning unit is therefore not just the verb, but the verb plus its preposition: ceist a chur ar, féachaint ar, éisteacht le, smaoineamh ar.

Practice Tips

1. Master one row and one column at a time. First say all seven ag forms aloud. Then choose one person, such as “her,” and compare aici, uirthi, léi, di, uaithi across several sets.
2. Make personal mini-sentences. Write three possessions with agam, three feelings or conditions with orm, and three preferences with liom. Personal facts are easier to remember than isolated forms.
3. Underline the hidden preposition. When you meet an English translation such as “She knows” or “They can swim,” identify the actual Irish frame: Tá a fhios aici and Is féidir leo snámh. This prevents English sentence structure from taking over.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Simple Prepositions — learn the basic meanings of ag, ar, le, do, and other prepositions first.
• Next step: Possession — develops Tá ... agam and contrasts it with possessive adjectives.
• Next step: Modal Expressions — uses forms such as liom and dúinn for ability and obligation.
• Next step: Weather and Feelings — practises states expressed with ar.
• Next step: Body and Health — applies ar and i to illness, pain, and the body.
• Later: Common Idiomatic Constructions — expands common verb–preposition and state patterns.
• Advanced: Idiomatic Expressions — explores less literal expressions built around these forms.