Genitive of Masculine Nouns

The Genitive Singular Case of Masculine Nouns

The Genitive Case is the form of the noun used to express possession and attributes

The masculine genitive singular noun exhibits identical initial consonant changes as the masculine singular dative nouns (see ).

There is also a number of internal vowel modifications analogous to those of the feminine singular dative nouns (see ). These modifications are the same for both definite and indefinite nouns. The general principle is, by the process of slenderisation, to make the final vowel of a word narrow, i.e. i.

To help you recognise the changes they are placed here as close as possible into the same distinct types as the feminine singular dative nouns of .

Initial changes in the noun and definite article are the same as the masculine dative singular definite noun so these are given as a reference point.

Only the genitive noun can have the definite article. The meaning of a preceding noun, whether a or the, is understood from the context.

If you are not sure or are looking for the genitive of any noun used in this course then go to the section

**Type 1**
In monosyllabic nouns a letter i is inserted after the last broad vowel after a change in the final broad vowel
Most common changes are **a >> ui**, **o >> ui** (**ò >> ùi**) :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
leis a' bhall - with the member	làmh a' bhuill - hand of the member (- the member's hand)	làmh buill - hand of a member (- a member's hand)
air a' bhòrd - on the table	cas a' bhùird - leg of the table (- the table leg)	cas bùird - leg of a table (- a table leg)
air a' chnoc - on the hill	mullach a' chnuic - top of the hill (- the hill top)	bun cnuic - base of a hill (- a hill base)

**Type 2**
In both mono- and polysyllabic nouns a letter i is inserted after the last broad vowel or ao group:
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
anns a' bhùrn - in the water	blas a' bhùirn - taste of the water (- the taste of the water)	blas bùirn - taste of water (- a taste of water)
leis a' ghaol - with the love	blàths a' ghaoil - the warmth of the love	blàths gaoil - the warmth of love
anns an leabhar - in the book	còmhdach an leabhair - cover of the book (- the book cover)	còmhdach leabhair - cover of a book (- a book cover)
air an t-sagart - on the priest	taigh an t-sagairt - house of the priest (- the priest's house)	taigh sagairt - house of a priest (- a priest's house)

**Type 3**
In polysyllabic nouns the final vowel group ea will change to ei or i (common in the group **-each** >> **-ich**) :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
air an eilean	bòidhchead an eilein - beauty of the island (- the beauty of the island)	bòidhchead eilein - beauty of an island (- the beauty of an island)
leis an Ileach - with the Islayman	bàta an Ilich - boat of the Islayman (- the Islayman's boat)	bàta Ilich - boat of an Islayman (- an Islayman's boat)
anns a' phàipear - in the paper	dath a' phàipeir - colour of the paper (- the paper colour)	dath pàipeir - colour of a paper (- a paper colour)

**Type 4**
The monosyllabic nouns the vowel group ea will change to i :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
ris an fhear - to the man	còta an fhir - coat of the man (- the man's coat)	còta fir - coat of a man (- a man's coat)
anns a' pheann - in the pen	gob a' phinn - nib of the pen (- the pen nib)	gob pinn - nib of a pen (- a pen nib)

**Type 5**
In a small number of monosyllabic nouns the diphthong ia will change to èi :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
leis an fhiadh - with the deer	biadh an fhèidh - the deer food	biadh fèidh - deer food

**Type 6**
In a small number of monosyllabic nouns the diphthong ìo will change to ì :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
leis an t-sìol - with the seed	plaosg an t-sìl - the seed pod	plaosg sìl - a seed pod

**Type 7**
In a small number of monosyllabic nouns the diphthong eu will change to **eòi** :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
anns a' bheul - in the mouth	oir a' bheòil - the edge of the mouth	oir beòil - the edge of a mouth
leis an eun - with the bird	sgriach an eòin - the screech of the bird	sgriach eòin - the screech of a bird
anns an fheur - in the grass	fàileadh an fheòir - the smell of the grass	fàileadh feòir - the smell of grass

**Type 8**
In a small number of monosyllabic nouns the vowel group eò will change to **iùi** :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
leis a' cheòl - with the music	gràdh a' chiùil - the love of the music	gràdh ciùil - the love of music
air an t-seòl - on the sail	oir an t-siùil - the edge of the sail	oir siùil - the edge of a sail

**Type 9**
Nouns Showing no Change
When the noun ends in a vowel or if the last vowel is already an i or if the nound ends in **-chd** :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
anns a' bhàta - in the boat	seòl a' bhàta - the boat's sail	seòl bàta - a boat's sail
leis a' bheachd - with the opinion	adhbhar a' bheachd - the cause of the opinion	adhbhar beachd - a cause of opinion
anns a' bhogsa - in the box	ceann a' bhogsa - the top of the box	ceann bogsa - the top of a box
aig a' ghille - at the boy	cù a' ghille - the boy's dog	cù gille - a boy's dog
ris an iasgair - to the fisherman	làmh an iasgair - the fisherman's hand	làmh iasgair - a fisherman's hand

Some common irregular genitives are best learned. All family members lose the final i :
Dative Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Definite	Genitive Singular Indefinite
leis an athair - with the father	taigh an athar - the father's house	taigh athar - a father's house
ris a' bhràthair - to the brother	càr a' bhràthar - the brother's car	càr bràthar - a brother's car
leis a' chù - to the dog	earball a' choin - the tail of the dog	earball coin - the tail of a dog
aig a' mhac - at the son	cù a' mhic - the son's dog	cù mic - a son's dog
leis a' mhìr - with the piece	meud a' mhìre - the size of the piece	meud mìre - the size of a piece
air an taigh - on the house	mullach an taighe - the roof of the house	mullach taighe - a roof of a house

Where there is more than one noun in the genitive then only the final one can take the genitive form and only this noun can have a definite article, e.g.
dath earball an eòin - the colour of the tail of the bird (- the bird's tail colour)
mullach taigh an fhir - the roof of the house of the man (- the man's house roof)
dath aghaidh a' bhalaich - the colour of the face of the boy (- the colour of the boy's face)

The possesive adjective can also be used with a genitive noun, e.g.
làmh mo mhic - my son's hand
meud do bheòil - the size of your mouth
blàths a chridhe - the warmth of his heart / blàths a cridhe (- the warmth of her heart)

NEW WORDS

**Adjectives**
cùbhraidh - fragrant	goirid - short
goirt - sore, sour	milis - sweet

**Nouns**
adhbhar (m) - reason, cause	beachd (m) - opinion
blas (m) - taste	blàths (m) - warmth
bòidhchead (m) - beauty	bùrn (m) - fresh water
coigreach (m) - stranger	còmhdach (m) - cover
cridhe (m) - heart	dath (m) - colour
deireadh (m) - end	earball (m) - tail
fàileadh (m) - smell	fuachd (m) - cold, coldness
gaol (m) - love	gob (m) - beak, nib
gràdh (m) - love	gunna (m) - gun
iasgair (m) - fisherman	meud (m) - size
mìr (m) - piece	mullach (m) - roof, ceiling
òr (m) - gold	pìos (m) - piece
plaosg (m) - pod (normally of a legume)	sabhal (m) - barn
sgriach (m) - shriek	Slànaighear - Saviour, healer
sreath (m) - row, series	taillear (m) - tailor
tuathanach (m) - farmer	uachdar (m) - surface, cream
aghaidh (f) - face	oir (f) - edge
prìs - price (f)	spòg (f) - paw, claw

**Verbs**
cuir, cur - plant, put, place	srac, sracadh - tear

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English**
1.Bha làmh a' bhalaich air làimh a leannain	2.Tha e na sheasamh aig doras an taighe
3.Ruith cù an tuathanaich tron t-sràid	4.Tha ceann a' bhogsa sracte
5.Bhiodh fàileadh cùbhraidh an fhraoich cho bòidheach	6.A bheil sibh ag iarraidh pìos arain?
7.Tha dath a' phinn agam gorm	8.Bha an taigh aca aig ceann an rathaid
9.Bha spòg a' chait goirt	10.Nach eil cas a' bhùird briste?
11.Tha earball cù mo bhràthar goirid	12.Tha blas uisge an uillt milis

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into English**
1.làmh a' bhodaich; doras an t-seòmair; botal bainne; cas balaich
2.bràthair m' athar; bogsa guail; làr an talla; dath a' chòta
3.rathad a' ghlinn; seòrsa duine; airgead an sgàthain; meud an rùim
4.earball èisg; fraoch a' mhonaidh; allt a' chladaich; blas uisge
5.prìs òir; sabhal a' chruidh; mullach an t-sabhail
6.dath an t-solais; làmh a' chopain; obair saoir
7.sgriach pèin; falt mo chinn; doras a' bhanca
8.balla a' phuirt; taigh a' mhinisteir; gunna saighdeir
9.searmon an t-sagairt; sgeul bàird; balla a' chaisteil
10.sgeilp leabharlainn; bòidhchead an t-seallaidh; cat a' bhoireannaich
11.leabaidh an leanaibh; aghaidh coigrich; ceòl an eilein
12.cù mo bhràthar; cat a mic; taigh a h-athar
13.gaol bràthar; talla a' bhaile; ballachan an taighe agam

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 1**
1.The boy's hand was on his girlfriend's hand	2.He was standing at the door of the house
3.The farmer's dog ran through the street	4.The lid of the box is torn
5.The fragrant smell of the heather would be so beautiful	6.Do you want a piece of bread?
7.The colour of my pen is blue	8.Their house was at the end of the road
9.The cat's paw was sore	10.Isn't the table leg broken?
11.The tail of my brother's dog is short	12.The taste of the stream water is sweet

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2**
1.the old man's hand; the room door; a bottle of milk; a boy's leg
2.my paternal uncle; a box of coal; the hall floor; the colour of the coat
3.the glen road; sort of man; the silver of the mirror; the size of the room
4.a fish tail; the heather of the moor; the shore burn; a taste of water
5.price of gold; the cattle barn; the barn roof
6.the colour of the light; the cup handle; work of a joiner
7.a cry of pain; the hair of my head; the door of the bank
8.the wall of the port; the minister's house; a soldier's gun
9.the priest's sermon; the poet's tale; the castle wall
10.a library shelf; the beauty of the view; the woman's cat
11.the baby's bed; a stranger's face; the island music
12.my brother's dog; her son's cat; her father's house
13.a brother's love; the town hall; the walls of my house

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