Let’s learn what lenition is! Here is another instalment in our grammar series. This series focuses on helping you crack the code of the basics of Irish Gaelic grammar.
Lenition, also called aspiration, is known in Irish as séimhiú:
séimhiú
/shay-voo/
lenition, aspiration
Its function is to make speaking easier and also to make sentences more precise.
Séimhiú, lenition, is indicated in modern-day Irish with a letter h after the first consonant of a word.
If you see a word with a h following the first consonant, such as a noun: chat, a verb: bhí, or an adjective: mhór, and you want to find out what the word means, remove the h before looking up the word in the dictionary.
The h is usually inserted there as a result of what comes before it in a sentence. There are many reasons for this which we won’t go into here.
You can learn when to add the séimhiú to a word by learning the rules in a grammar book or online. You can learn when to use the séimhiú on the Bitesize Irish course.
Irish for Beginners free one-month course
Learn to introduce yourself in Ireland's native language. Sent directly to your email inbox.
What you get for signing up:
- One-month Irish for Beginners course sent to your inbox
- Immediate download of our popular ebook “The Irish Language: Your Key to Gaelic Ireland”
- Exclusive weekly updates with the Bitesize Irish Gaelic newsletter
"We don't sell or spam your details." - Eoin Ó Conchúir, Founder, Bitesize Irish.
Excellent video! I now know that the three (lenition, aspiration and séimhiú) mean the same. I used to confuse them, now I will forever remember them as, “LAS.” Actually, I’ll add the, “h” and remember them all as, “LASH” GRMA! Well done,
Hi Lynne,
I’m so happy to hear we helped you!
Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat le d’fhoghlaim agus maith thú!
– Gabrielle