nach

See also: nách and nach-

German

Etymology

From Middle High German nāh, from Old High German nāh with preservation of word-final -h as -ch; thus pertaining to modern nah (“near”) (from Old High German inflected nāh-), from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw. Cognate with Dutch na, English nigh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /naːx/ (generally)
• IPA^(key): /nax/ (sometimes alternatively as a preposition, unless stressed)

• Audio:

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• Audio:

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Preposition

nach [with dative]

1. after, past (later in time)

   Viertel nach sechs

   a quarter past six

   nach einer Woche

   after a week

2. after, behind (in sequence)

   B kommt nach A.

   B comes after A.

3. to, towards (with geographical names; see usage notes below)

   die Flucht nach Ägypten

   the flight into Egypt

4. according to; guided by
   • 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Orgelpfeifen, in: Zwei Erzählungen, Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 19:

     Die eigenen Zimmer hatten sich die Enkel nach persönlichem Geschmack eingerichtet.

     The grandchildren had furnished their own rooms according to their personal taste.

5. by the authority of; following

   die Analyse nach Marx

   the analysis following Marx

7. (with verbs of sensual perception) like (see usage notes below)

   Das riecht nach Knoblauch. ― This smells like garlic.

8. for (indicating desire for an object)

   nach etwas greifen ― to reach for something

   nach etwas streben ― to strive for/after something

   nach etwas suchen ― to search for something

Usage notes

• (to, towards): The directional preposition nach is now used chiefly with geographical names that do not have an article with them: nach Ägypten, nach Hamburg, etc. Only in elevated, literary style are there remnants of a freer use of nach:

nach dem Irak (“to Iraq”) — for which usually: in den Irak

nach dem Schloss (“to the castle”) — for which usually: zum Schloss.

At times, this use of nach conveys the implication that the destination is not reached. Thus: Er fuhr zum Schloss. – “He travelled to the castle [and arrived there].” But: Er fuhr nach dem Schloss. – “He travelled towards the castle [and may or may not have arrived].”

• Directional nach with personal names (or names of shops etc.) is found in the regional vernaculars of north-western Germany: nach Peter (“to Peter's house”). This is nonstandard usage.
• (like): There may be a slight semantic distinction between the use of nach and wie after a verb of sensual perception. The following phrases both translate to English as “This feels like silk”, but compare the different implications: Das fühlt sich nach Seide an. (“This feels like silk, and it probably is.”) Das fühlt sich an wie Seide. (“This feels like silk, although it’s probably something else.”) This distinction is not a strict one, however.

Inflection

Pronominal adverbs of nach

Preposition	nach
+ wo-	wonach
+ da-	danach
+ hier-	hiernach

Postposition

nach [with dative]

1. according to

   meiner Meinung nach ― in my opinion

   meinem Urteil nach ― in my judgement

Adverb

nach

1. (in compound verbs) after, behind, later, next to

   Meine Uhr geht nach.

   My watch is slow.

Derived terms

• danach
• nach und nach
• nachdem
• nachher

Related terms

• nach-

Further reading

• “nach” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Irish

Alternative forms

• ná (Munster; all senses)

Etymology

From Old Irish nach, from Proto-Celtic *nekʷe, a combination of Proto-Indo-European *né (negative particle) and *-kʷe (“and”); compare Latin neque.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n̪ˠax/

Conjunction

nach (triggers eclipsis; used with the dependent form of an irregular verb if there is one)

1. that...not (introduces a negative subordinate clause; the negation of go).

   Dúirt sé nach raibh carr aige.

   He said that he didn’t have a car.

Particle

nach (triggers eclipsis; used with the dependent form of an irregular verb if there is one)

1. not (in questions)

   Nach bhfuil ocras ort?

   Are you not hungry?

   Chonaic mé í, nach bhfaca?

   I saw her, didn’t I?

Particle

nach (copular form)

1. isn’t...?/whether/if it is... (introduces negative questions, both direct and indirect)

   Nach maith leat bainne?

   Don’t you like milk?

   Níl a fhios agam an miste dó nó nach miste.

   I don’t know if it matters to him or not.

2. who/which isn’t... (introduces negative relative clauses, both direct and indirect)

   an bhean nach múinteoir í ― the woman who isn’t a teacher

   an bhean nach maith léi bainne ― the woman who doesn’t like milk

Related terms

Irish copular forms

simple copular forms
		affirmative	negative	interrogative	negative interrogative
present/future
main clause		is	ní	an	nach
relative clause	direct		nach	–
	indirect	ar, arbv
other subordinate clause		gur, gurbv		an	nach
past/conditional
main clause		ba, b’v	níor, níorbhv	ar, arbhv	nár, nárbhv
relative clause	direct	ba, abv	nár, nárbhv	–
	indirect	ar, arbhv
other subordinate clause		gur, gurbhv		ar, arbhv	nár, nárbhv
present subjunctive
–		gura, gurabv	nára, nárabv	–
compound copular forms
base word		present/future		past/conditional
cá		cár, cárbv		cár, cárbhv
cé		cér, cérbv		cér, cérbhv
dá		–		dá mba, dá mb’v
de/do		dar, darbv		dar, darbhv
faoi		faoinar, faoinarbv		faoinar, faoinarbhv
i		inar, inarbv		inar, inarbhv
le		lenar, lenarbv		lenar, lenarbhv
má		más		má ba, má b’v
mura		mura, murabv		murar, murarbhv
ó (preposition)		ónar, ónarbv		ónar, ónarbhv
ó (conjunction)		ós		ó ba, ó b’v
trí		trínar, trínarbv		trínar, trínarbhv

^v Used before vowel sounds

References

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “nach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 nach, nách (‘not’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “3 nach, nách (‘who/which ... not’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “4 nach, nách (‘that ... not’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “5 nach, nách (‘isn’t?, doesn’t?’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Old High German noh. Cognate with German noch, Dutch nog.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɑχ/
• Rhymes: -ɑχ

Adverb

nach

1. still

   Ech léieren nach Lëtzebuergesch.

   I'm still learning Luxembourgish.

2. yet
3. just

Conjunction

nach

1. nor
   • Luxembourgish translation of Matthew 5:35:

     nach bei der Äerd, well dat ass d'Bänkelche fir seng Féiss, nach bei Jerusalem, well dat ass deem grousse Kinnek seng Stad.

     nor by the earth, because it is the footstool for his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

Usage notes

• Often used with weder (“neither”).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

nach n (definite singular nachet, indefinite plural nach, definite plural nacha)

1. after-party

Synonyms

• nachspiel

Old Irish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *nekʷos (“someone, something”); compare nech (“someone”). Cognate with Welsh neb.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n̪ax/

Determiner

nach

1. some, any

For quotations using this term, see Citations:nach.

Inflection

Case	Singular			Plural
	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	nach	nachL	naH	nachaH
Accusative	nachN
Genitive	nachL, naichL	nachaH	nach	—
Dative	nachL			nach
L indicates a form that triggers lenition, N a form that triggers nasalization (eclipsis), and H a form that triggers /h/-prothesis. The plural forms shown occur only in negative clauses. In positive clauses, the plural is supplied by alaili, araili.

Derived terms

• na ní
• nach aile
• nach oín

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 nach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940) [1909], D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, translation of Handbuch des Alt-Irischen (in German), →ISBN, § 489, pages 309–10; reprinted 2017

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n̪ax/

Verb

nach

1. alternative spelling of nách (“that (it) is not”)

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish nach, from Proto-Celtic *ne-kʷe. Cognate with Irish nach.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n̪ˠax/; (Lewis) [n̪ˠaχ]
• Hyphenation: nach

Verb

nach

1. Used together with the dependent form of a verb to form negative questions.

   Nach eil an t-acras ort? ― Are you not hungry?

   Chunnaic mi i, nach fhaca? ― I saw her, didn't I?

   Nach buail thu e? ― Won't you strike him?

2. Used together with the dependent form of a verb to form negative subordinate clauses; that ... not

   Bha e ag ràdh nach robh càr aige. ― He said that he didn't have a car.

Usage notes

• Traditionally lenites verbs starting in f followed by a vowel, doesn’t mutate other initial sounds.

Inflection

Conjugation of bi (highly irregular)

			singular			plural
			first	second	third m/f	first	second	third
independent	present		tha mi	tha thu	tha e/i	tha sinn	tha sibh	tha iad
	past		bha mi	bha thu	bha e/i	bha sinn	bha sibh	bha iad
	future	simple	bidh mi	bidh tu	bidh e/i	bidh sinn	bidh sibh	bidh iad
		emphatic	bithidh mi	bithidh tu	bithidh e/i	bithidh sinn	bithidh sibh	bithidh iad
	conditional	simple	bhithinn	bhiodh tu	bhiodh e/i	bhiodh sinn bhiomaid	bhiodh sibh	bhiodh iad
		emphatic		bhitheadh tu	bhitheadh e/i	bhitheadh sinn bhitheamaid	bhitheadh sibh	bhitheadh iad
negative	present		chan eil mi	chan eil thu	chan eil e/i	chan eil sinn	chan eil sibh	chan eil iad
	past		cha robh mi	cha robh thu	cha robh e/i	cha robh sinn	cha robh sibh	cha robh iad
	future		cha bhi mi	cha bhi thu	cha bhi e/i	cha bhi sinn	cha bhi sibh	cha bhi iad
	conditional	simple	cha bhithinn	cha bhiodh tu	cha bhiodh e/i	cha bhiodh sinn cha bhiomaid	cha bhiodh sibh	cha bhiodh iad
		emphatic		cha bhitheadh tu	cha bhitheadh e/i	cha bhitheadh sinn cha bhitheamaid	cha bhitheadh sibh	cha bhitheadh iad
affirmative interrogative	present		a bheil mi?	a bheil thu?	a bheil e/i?	a bheil sinn?	a bheil sibh?	a bheil iad?
	past		an robh mi?	an robh thu?	an robh e/i?	an robh sinn?	an robh sibh?	an robh iad?
	future		am bi mi?	am bi thu?	am bi e/i?	am bi sinn?	am bi sibh?	am bi iad?
	conditional	simple	am bithinn?	am biodh tu?	am biodh e/i?	am biodh sinn? am biomaid?	am biodh sibh?	am biodh iad?
		emphatic		am bitheadh tu?	am bitheadh e/i?	am bitheadh sinn am bitheamaid?	am bitheadh sibh?	am bitheadh iad?
negative interrogative	present		nach eil mi?	nach eil thu?	nach eil e/i?	nach eil sinn?	nach eil sibh?	nach eil iad?
	past		nach robh mi?	nach robh thu?	nach robh e/i?	nach robh sinn?	nach robh sibh?	nach robh iad?
	future		nach bi mi?	nach bi thu?	nach bi e/i?	nach bi sinn?	nach bi sibh?	nach bi iad?
	conditional	simple	nach bithinn?	nach biodh tu?	nach biodh e/i?	nach biodh sinn? nach biomaid?	nach biodh sibh?	nach biodh iad?
		emphatic		nach bitheadh tu?	nach bitheadh e/i?	nach bitheadh sinn? nach bitheamaid?	nach bitheadh sibh?	nach bitheadh iad?
relative future		simple	(a) bhios mi	(a) bhios tu	(a) bhios e/i	(a) bhios sinn	(a) bhios sibh	(a) bhios iad
		emphatic	(a) bhitheas mi	(a) bhitheas tu	(a) bhitheas e/i	(a) bhitheas sinn	(a) bhitheas sibh	(a) bhitheas iad
imperative		simple	bitheam	bi	biodh e/i	biomaid	bithibh	biodh iad
		emphatic			bitheadh e/i	bitheamaid		bitheadh iad
verbal noun			a bhith

Impersonal forms can be found at thathar.

Conjugation of is (highly irregular, defective)

		singular			plural
		first	second	third m/f	first	second	third
independent	present	is mi	is tu	is e/i	is sinn	is sibh	is iad
	past	bu mhi	bu tu	b' e/i	bu sinn	bu sibh	b' iad
	conditional
negative	present	cha mhi	cha tu	chan e/i	cha sinn	cha sibh	chan iad
	past	cha bu mhi	cha bu tu	cha b' e/i	cha bu sinn	cha bu sibh	cha b' iad
	conditional
affirmative interrogative	present	am mi?	an tu?	an e/i?	an sinn?	an sibh?	an iad?
	past	am bu mhi?	am bu tu?	am b' e/i?	am bu sinn?	am bu sibh?	am b' iad?
	conditional
Negative interrogative	present	nach mi?	nach tu?	nach e/i?	nach sinn?	nach sibh?	nach iad?
	past	nach bu mhi?	nach bu tu?	nach b' e/i?	nach bu sinn?	nach bu sibh?	nach b' iad?
	conditional

Conjugation of thathar (highly irregular, defective, impersonal)

	Present	Past	Future	Conditional
Independent	thathar, thatar, thathas1	bhathar, bhatar, bhathas1	bithear, bitear, bitheas1	bhite(adh), bhithist(e)1
Negative	chan eilear, chan eileas1	cha robhar, cha robhas1	cha bithear, cha bitear, cha bitheas1	cha bhite(adh), cha bhithist(e)1
Affirmative interrogative	am beilear? am beileas?1 a bheilear? a bheileas?1	an robhar? an robhas?1	am bithear? am biteas?1	am bite(adh)? am bithist(e)?1
Negative interrogative	nach eilear? nach eileas?1	nach robhar? nach robhas?1	nach bithear? nach bitear? nach bitheas?1	nach bite(adh)? nach bithist(e)?1

¹ Lewis dialect form

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “nach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 nach, nách (‘not’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Mark, Colin (2003), “nach”, in The Gaelic–English dictionary, London: Routledge, →ISBN, page 446