Lenition softens the first consonant of a word by adding an h after it: bád becomes bhád, cat becomes chat. It is triggered by many small words - the possessives mo and do, the preposition ar, the negative ní, and a woman's name after an.
Examples
- Tá mo chóta ar an gcathaoir.
- My coat is on the chair.
- Ól do chuid tae.
- Drink your tea.
- Ní bhíonn sé anseo.
- He isn't usually here.
The mistake to avoid
Look a word up in its bare form - chóta is listed under cóta.
Where this fits in
Food & ordering, Irish Gaelic A1: Order at a café or restaurant, ask for the bill, and talk about basic food and drink.