Purpose and Result in Irish

Overview

Purpose and result clauses explain why something was done and what happened as a consequence. In Irish, purpose is expressed with chun or le followed by a verbal noun (to/in order to), while result uses chomh...go (so...that) or chomh...sin go (so much...that).

Purpose clauses are straightforward: Tháinig mé chun cabhrú leat (I came to help you). The preposition chun (or sometimes le) directly precedes the verbal noun, creating a clean "in order to" construction. For more formal contexts, d'fhonn (in order to) and ar mhaithe le (for the sake of) are also available.

Result clauses use the structure chomh + adjective + sin + go (+ eclipsis): Bhí sé chomh fliuch sin go raibh orainn stopadh (It was so wet that we had to stop). These clauses add expressive power to your Irish, allowing you to describe cause-and-effect relationships naturally.

How It Works

Purpose Expressions

Irish	English	Formality
chun + VN	to / in order to	standard
le + VN	to	informal
d'fhonn + VN	in order to	formal
ar mhaithe le	for the sake of	formal
i dtreo go	so that	formal
le go	so that	standard

Result Expressions

Irish	English
chomh...sin go...	so...that...
chomh...go...	so...that...
mar sin	therefore / so

Purpose Clause Examples

Irish	English
Tháinig mé chun cabhrú leat.	I came to help you.
D'fhág sé go luath le bheith ann in am.	He left early to be there on time.
D'fhonn an scéal a mhíniú...	In order to explain the story...
Ar mhaithe le do shláinte.	For the sake of your health.

Result Clause Examples

Irish	English
Bhí sé chomh fliuch sin go raibh orainn stopadh.	It was so wet that we had to stop.
Bhí sé chomh fuar go raibh oighear ann.	It was so cold that there was ice.
Bhí sí chomh tuirseach sin gur thit sí ina codladh.	She was so tired that she fell asleep.

Examples in Context

Irish	English	Note
Tháinig mé chun cabhrú leat.	I came to help you.	"chun" + VN
Bhí sé chomh fliuch sin go raibh orainn stopadh.	It was so wet that we had to stop.	Result clause
Ar mhaithe le do shláinte.	For the sake of your health.	Formal purpose
D'fhág sé go luath le bheith ann in am.	He left early to be there on time.	"le" + VN
D'fhonn an scéal a mhíniú.	In order to explain the story.	Formal "d'fhonn"
Tá mé ag staidéar chun scrúdú a dhéanamh.	I am studying to do an exam.	Purpose with object
Bhí an ceol chomh hard sin nach raibh mé in ann codladh.	The music was so loud that I couldn't sleep.	Negative result
Chuaigh sí ann le Gaeilge a fhoghlaim.	She went there to learn Irish.	"le" + object + VN
Bhí sé chomh deas sin gur fhan muid ann.	It was so nice that we stayed.	Positive result
Rinne mé é ar mhaithe le síocháin.	I did it for the sake of peace.	Formal purpose

Common Mistakes

Using "chun" with a conjugated verb instead of a verbal noun

• Wrong: Tháinig mé chun chabhraím leat
• Right: Tháinig mé chun cabhrú leat.
• Why: Chun is followed by a verbal noun, not a conjugated verb form.

Forgetting "sin" in the result clause

• Wrong: Bhí sé chomh fliuch go raibh orainn stopadh
• Right: Bhí sé chomh fliuch sin go raibh orainn stopadh.
• Why: The full result construction includes sin after the adjective for emphasis, though it is sometimes omitted in casual speech.

Confusing purpose and result constructions

• Wrong: Mixing up "chun" (purpose) and "chomh...go" (result)
• Right: Purpose = why you did something (chun). Result = what happened because of something (chomh...go).
• Why: These are different logical relationships that require different grammatical structures.

Usage Notes

In spoken Irish, le is sometimes used interchangeably with chun for purpose clauses, though chun is considered more standard. The formal expressions d'fhonn and ar mhaithe le are more common in written Irish, official documents, and speeches. In Munster Irish, chun is sometimes pronounced as chun or un.

Practice Tips

1. Write five sentences explaining why you do certain things using chun: Éirím go luath chun bheith ar scoil in am (I get up early to be at school on time).
2. Practice result clauses by describing extreme situations: Bhí sé chomh te sin go... (It was so hot that...).

Related Concepts

• Noun Clauses with 'Go' — the "go" particle used in result clauses