cailín

Fourth-Declension Nouns

Level 3

Fourth-declension nouns keep the same singular form in common and genitive cases: cailín, ainm an chailín. Article mutation can still change the initial consonant.

How It Works

Fourth-declension nouns keep the same singular form in common and genitive cases: cailín, ainm an chailín. Article mutation can still change the initial consonant.

Cailín is a fourth-declension noun whose singular common and genitive forms have the same ending. The genitive article still changes the beginning to an chailín. Unchanged final spelling therefore does not mean that the noun phrase lacks a genitive relationship.

Examples (3)

  1. Tá an cailín anseo.

    The girl is here.

  2. Seo ainm an chailín.

    This is the girl's name.

  3. Tá mála an chailín anseo.

    The girl's bag is here.

How It Connects

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

cailínLevel 3Fourth-Declension Nouns

Learn This First

Place an unchanged fourth-declension genitive within the noun-paradigm framework.

Words in This Pattern

cailín