Unconjugated

A guide to simple Irish prepositions that do not conjugate for pronouns, such as 'gan' (without), 'mar' (as), and 'go' (to).

Prepositions Grammar Particles

While many common Irish prepositions change their form when followed by a pronoun (e.g., agam, agat), this group of prepositions does not. They are known as “unconjugated prepositions” and are always followed by a standard noun or pronoun, making them simpler to learn.

go / go dtí (to, until, towards)

The preposition go and its longer form go dtí are used to express movement towards a place or duration until a certain time. go is typically used with place names that do not take an article, while go dtí is used with nouns that do have an article.

Etymology and variants

The form go dtí literally means “until I come”, where tí is an old subjunctive form of the verb tar (to come). In speech, the go is sometimes omitted, leaving a pronunciation like [di:].

Other historical or dialectal variants include:

go dtige (using another subjunctive form of tar, heard in Connacht)
go nuige (from Old Irish conicci, “until you meet”)
go ruige (from Old Irish co-ricci, “until you reach”)

Initial Mutations

The mutation caused by go / go dtí depends on whether an article is present.

Without an article (usually with go): No lenition is caused. An h-prefix is added to a following vowel.
- go hÉirinn - to Ireland
With an article (always with go dtí): The standard mutation rules for the nominative case after the article apply.
- go dtí an teach - to the house
- go dtí an t-oileán - to the island

Pronominal Forms

In Standard Irish, go dtí does not have special pronominal forms. You simply use the preposition followed by the regular pronoun.

go dtí mé - to me
go dtí tú - to you
go dtí é - to him

Historical note

Etymologically, the pronominal forms of chun/chuig (e.g., chugam, chugat) originally belonged to go.

Usage

Destination of spatial movement

Use go dtí for destinations with an article and go for place names without an article.

go dtí an teach - to the house
go Meireacá - to America

Temporal extent

Use go dtí to mean “until” a specific time or event, and go in some set phrases.

go dtí an lá sin - until that day
go maidin - until morning

Comparison or exception

In some expressions, go dtí can mean “compared to” or “except for”.

Níor fheabhas go dtí é - There was nothing better than it.
Níor mhadra go dtí é. - There was no dog like him.
Tá mo chuidse díobh ite go dtí dhá cheann. - I have eaten my share except for two.

go (with)

This is a separate preposition from the one above. This go means “with”, though its use is now mostly restricted to set phrases. It is distinguished by the fact that it causes eclipsis.

Initial Mutations

When go means “with”, it causes eclipsis on the following noun.

go n-onóir - with honour

Pronominal Forms

There are no standard pronominal forms. However, special forms exist when go is followed by a possessive pronoun.

Context	Form
with my	`go mo`
with your	`go do`
with his	`gona`
with her	`gona`
with our	`gonár`
with your (pl.)	`go bhur`
with their	`gona`

Usage

Basic meaning “with”

This usage is now rare or archaic.

gona laigí daonna uile - with all his human weaknesses
gona chuid gealseol - with his white sails

Measurements

The most common use of this preposition is in the phrase go leith (“with half”), used to mean “…and a half”.

trí chéad go leith punt - 350 pounds

Idioms

It appears in several common idioms.

go bhfios dom - as far as I know (literally: “with knowledge to me”)
go gcuimhin liom - as far as I remember
go gclos dom - from what I hear

Historical note

This preposition is etymologically related to the Latin cum (“with”). There is also evidence that the conjunction go (“that”) derives from it.

gan (without)

The preposition gan means “without” and is the opposite of le (with). It typically causes lenition.

Initial Mutation

The standard rule is that gan causes lenition.

gan phósadh - unmarried
gan chiall - without sense, senseless
gan phingin - without a penny

However, there are several important exceptions where no lenition occurs:

Before the consonants d, s, and t.
- gan fear - without a man
In infinitive constructions and non-finite clauses.
- gan pósadh - without marrying
When a noun is used elliptically.
- gan clú (a bheith agat) - without (having) fame
When the noun is followed by another attribute or phrase.
- gan pingin ina phóca - without a penny in his pocket
Before proper nouns.
- gan Pól - without Paul

Pronominal Forms

gan has no special pronominal forms. You simply use it with the standard pronouns.

gan mise - without me
gan tusa - without you
gan é - without him

Usage

Basic meaning “without”

gan obair - without work

gan … gan (neither … nor)

Used in pairs, it means “neither … nor”. The second gan can also be replaced with ná.

gan obair gan arán - neither work nor bread
gan obair ná arán - neither work nor bread

Semi-negative expressions

In phrases with ach, it can mean “with only”.

gan ach aon alt amháin - with only one article
gan níos mó ná trí scillinge ina phóca aige - with only 3 shillings in his pocket

Negation in non-finite clauses

gan is used to negate a verbal noun, meaning “not to…” or “without …-ing”.

Aontaím gan labhairt leis. - I agree not to speak to him.
D'imigh mé gan labhairt leis. - I left without speaking to him.

Mar (like, as)

mar is a common preposition used for comparisons or to state a role or function, meaning “like” or “as”.

Initial Mutation

Without an article: mar causes lenition.
- mar fhear - like a man
With an article: Usually no mutation occurs.
- mar an fear - like the man
With an article (rarely): In some fixed phrases, mar can cause eclipsis.
- mar an ngrian - like the sun
- mar an gcéanna - likewise, the same

Pronominal Forms

mar has no special pronominal forms.

mar mise - like me

Usage

Comparison

mar bhean - as a woman, like a woman

Manner

gach éinne mar a dhúchas - everyone according to their nature

Apposition or clarification

Tá sé fairsing is fionnuar, mar sheomra. - It is spacious and cool, as a room.
mar atá - as is, namely

Classification or role

Bhí sí mar Leas-Uachtarán ar an ngrúpa. - She was Vice-President of the group.

Compound prepositions

mar forms part of two common compound prepositions:

mar gheall ar (because of)
- mar gheall ar an mbád - because of the boat
mar le (as for, in view of)
- Is breá an aimsir í, mar le geimhreadh. - It is fine weather for a winter.

Amhail (like)

amhail is a more formal or literary alternative to mar, also meaning “like”. It does not cause any mutation.

Initial Mutation

amhail causes no mutation.

amhail fear - like a man
amhail an fear - like the man

Pronominal Forms

amhail has no special pronominal forms.

amhail mise - like me

Usage

amhail is used in the same way as mar but is less common in everyday speech.

amhail carraig - like a rock

Os (over)

os is an old preposition meaning “over” or “above”. Today, it survives only in a few fixed expressions and does not cause any mutation.

Historical note

os is related to the adverbs of place suas (up), thuas (above), and anuas (down from above). It formerly had pronominal forms like uasam (over me), but these are now obsolete.

Usage

os cionn (over, above)
- os mo chionn - above me
os comhair / os coinne (opposite, in front of)
os ard (aloud, openly)
os íseal (in a low voice, secretly)
os meán (above the average/measure)

Seachas (except, other than, besides)

seachas is used to draw a distinction, meaning “other than”, “besides”, or “except”.

Etymology

seachas is a compound of the older preposition seach and the copula is. It is sometimes written seach is or just seach.

Usage

Other than / different from

an teach seachas an ceann seo - a house other than this one

Besides / except for

daoine seachas ise - people besides her
seachas thú féin - except yourself

Compared to how

seachas mar a + direct relative clause

Rather than

seachas a chéile - rather than each other

Correction (and not)

It can be used to correct a statement, meaning simply “and not”.

Rinne an fear sin, seachas an bhean. - That man did it, not the woman.
Bearna seachas Barna - Bearna and not Barna (correcting an anglicised place name)

Murach (if it were not for)

The preposition murach means “if it were not for” or “without” and is used in conditional sentences.

Murach an dochtúir, bheadh sé marbh. - If it weren’t for the doctor, he would be dead.

is (ago)

This specialised preposition is used in temporal phrases to mean “ago”. It is almost always found contracted with the article an as isan.

Etymology

isan comes from Old Irish i san, meaning “in that”.

Usage

mí is an lá inniu - a month ago today (literally: “a month until the day today”)
bliain is an t-am seo - a year ago at this time

a (to)

The particle a, often classed as a preposition, is primarily used before a verbal noun to form the infinitive, like “to” in “to do”. It is a reduced form of the preposition do.

It is pronounced as a neutral schwa sound [ə]. Before a vowel, it becomes silent.

beoir a ól - to drink beer (pronounced [b′oːr′ oːl])

Historical note

In older texts and still in some Munster dialects, the full form do is used instead of a. For example, chun na Gaeilge d'fhoghlaim is an older way of writing chun na Gaeilge a fhoghlaim (to learn Irish).

Initial Mutations

The particle a causes lenition.

rud a dhéanamh - to do something

Usage

Infinitive constructions

It connects an object (or sometimes a subject) to its verbal noun.

Bhí mé sásta míle a shiúl. - I was content to walk a mile.

In progressive relative clauses

It replaces ag in the progressive aspect (tá ... ag déanamh) when the object of the verb is the antecedent of the relative clause.

an litir atá an fear a scríobh - the letter that the man is writing
Céard atá tú a dhéanamh? - What are you doing?

In other progressive constructions

It also replaces ag when the object does not immediately follow the verbal noun for other reasons, such as emphasis or negation.

Níl an fear a scríobh ach an litir. - The man is only writing the letter.
Pingin ní raibh mé a shaothrú. - I didn’t earn a penny.

Infinitive of purpose (Ulster)

In Ulster Irish, a often replaces ag after verbs of motion or verbs of starting/stopping to indicate purpose.

Tháinig sé a chónaí sa tsráidbhaile. - He came to live in the village.

Other uses

A rare use outside of verbal nouns is in telling time.

Tá sé a trí a chlog. - It is 3 o’clock.

Dar (by)

dar is a preposition used in oaths, affirmations, and exclamations, meaning “by”. The preposition ar is sometimes used in its place.

Usage

dar Dia! - by God!
dar m'anam! - by my soul!
dar m'fhocal! - by my word!