Thar (over, past, beyond)
How to use the Irish preposition 'thar' (past, over, beyond), including its mutations, pronoun forms, and usage in comparisons.
The preposition thar means “past”, “over”, or “beyond”. It is used to describe movement, to talk about time, and to make comparisons. Like other prepositions, it causes initial mutations on the following noun and combines with pronouns to form a unique set of words.
Case and Mutations
The preposition thar is followed by the dative case. In modern Irish, the dative form of a noun is almost always the same as its nominative (dictionary) form. However, thar causes different initial mutations depending on whether it is followed by the definite article an.
Without the Article
When thar is followed by a noun without the article, it causes lenition.
- thar bhosca - over a box
- thar chat - past a cat
With the Article
When thar is followed by the singular definite article an, the standard mutation is eclipsis.
- thar an mbosca - over the box
- thar an gcathaoir - past the chair
This rule has several exceptions and dialectal variations.
- Nouns beginning with
dortare not eclipsed in the standard language. - Nouns beginning with
l,n,r,m, or a vowel do not change.
Conjugated Forms
When thar is followed by a pronoun, they combine to form a single word.
| Person | Standard Form | Emphatic Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | tharam | tharamsa | past me |
| 2nd sg. | tharat | tharatsa | past you |
| 3rd sg. (m) | thairis | thairis-sean | past him |
| 3rd sg. (f) | thairti | thairtise | past her |
| 1st pl. | tharainn | tharainne | past us |
| 2nd pl. | tharaibh | tharaibhse | past you |
| 3rd pl. | thartu | thartusan | past them |
Usage
Spatial Movement
thar can describe horizontal movement (“past”) or vertical movement (“over”).
- Shiúil sé thar an teach. - He walked past the house.
- Léim an madra thar an mbosca. - The dog jumped over the box.
Time
It can be used to mean “over” or “past” a certain time.
- Bhí sé thar am agat teacht. - It was high time for you to come. (lit. “it was over the time at you”)
Figurative Meaning
Figuratively, thar can mean “beyond” or “despite”.
- Rinne sé é thar chomhairle a athar. - He did it despite his father’s advice. (lit. “over his father’s advice”)
Quantity and Comparison
thar is frequently used to mean “more than” or “beyond” a certain quantity.
- Tá sé anseo thar bhliain. - He has been here for over a year.
- D’ól sé braon thar an gceart. - He drank a drop too much. (lit. “a drop over the right”)
It also appears in special comparative phrases. The forms thar is and tharas are also used in this context.
- Tá an scannán thar a bheith go maith. - The film is more than good / exceptionally good.
- Bhí sé níos deacra thar mar a shíl mé. - It was more difficult than I thought.
- Is fearr é tharas aon duine eile. - He is better than anyone else.
Asking Questions
To ask “past whom?” or “past what?”, you use the form thart with a question word and an indirect relative clause.
- Cé thart a chuaigh tú? - Whom did you go past?
- Cad thart a léim an cat? - What did the cat jump over?