Velar N: unha and Final N

Level 1

At the end of a word, n sounds like the ng in English sing: can, pan, non. The spelling nh writes that sound before a vowel in unha (a, one).

How It Works

Final n is velar. When n ends a word, Galician pronounces it at the back of the mouth, like the ng in English sing, with no g sound after it: can (dog), pan (bread), non (no), irmán (brother), tamén (also). It keeps this sound in the plural (cans, irmáns) and before a vowel in the next word (un amigo).

Nh writes the same sound before a vowel. In unha, the feminine of un, that ng sound is followed by a vowel. The standard spells it nh, so unha sounds roughly like "oong-a", not like Spanish una.

Only the unha family. This nh appears in unha and unhas, in algunha and ningunha, and in the contractions dunha (de + unha), nunha (en + unha) and cunha (con + unha). Everywhere else, n between vowels is an ordinary n (semana, week), and the ny sound is written ñ (viño, wine).

You will use these forms constantly: see Indefinite Articles, Contractions With Un and Unha and Some, No, Someone and No One.

Examples (6)

  1. Teño un can e unha gata.

    I have a dog and a cat.

    Word by Word: I-have a dog and a (female) cat.

    Un and can end in the ng sound, and unha carries it before a vowel.

  2. Non, grazas. Non quero pan.

    No, thanks. I don't want bread.

    Word by Word: No, thanks. Not I-want bread.

  3. Vivo nunha casa cunha horta.

    I live in a house with a vegetable garden.

    Word by Word: I-live in-a house with-a vegetable-garden.

    Nunha is en + unha, and cunha is con + unha.

  4. Algunha vez estiveches en Lugo?

    Have you ever been to Lugo?

    Word by Word: Some time you-were in Lugo?

  5. O meu irmán tamén vén.

    My brother is coming too.

    Word by Word: The my brother also comes.

    Irmán, tamén and vén all end in the ng sound.

  6. Non hai ningunha mesa libre.

    There is no free table.

    Word by Word: Not there-is no table free.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing the feminine article like Spanish una.

    Teño una gata.
    Teño unha gata.

    The Galician feminine of un is always unha, spelled with nh.

  • Adding an accent or leaving out the h in ningunha.

    Non hai ningúna mesa libre.
    Non hai ningunha mesa libre.

    Algunha and ningunha are written with nh and no accent. The masculine ningún does take an accent, because it is stressed on its last syllable and ends in n.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Velar N: unha and Final NLevel 1

Learn This First

Unha illustrates the velar nasal sound and its spelling.

Words in This Pattern

unhasalgunhaningunhadunhanunhacunha