HeyRuaHow to say “to bend” in Irish
- Irish:
- cam
- English:
- to bend, distort
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- camadh (ag camadh, bending)
- Verbal adjective:
- camtha
- Pronunciation:
- “kowm” /kaːmˠ/
What does “cam” mean?
“Cam” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to bend
- To make something crooked or curved, or to become crooked.Also: crook, make crooked, curve, warp.
1 other meaning: distort
The same spelling has its own page as:
“Cam” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cham méI bent | Níor cham méI did not bend | Ar cham mé?Did I bend? |
| tú (you) | Cham túYou bent | Níor cham túYou did not bend | Ar cham tú?Did you bend? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cham sé / síHe bent | Níor cham sé / síHe did not bend | Ar cham sé / sí?Did he bend? |
| sinn (we) | ChamamarWe bent | Níor chamamarWe did not bend | Ar chamamar?Did we bend? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cham sibhYou bent | Níor cham sibhYou did not bend | Ar cham sibh?Did you bend? |
| siad (they) | Cham siadThey bent | Níor cham siadThey did not bend | Ar cham siad?Did they bend? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Camadh | Níor camadh | Ar camadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CamaimI bend | Ní chamaimI do not bend | An gcamaim?Do I bend? |
| tú (you) | Camann túYou bend | Ní chamann túYou do not bend | An gcamann tú?Do you bend? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Camann sé / síHe bends | Ní chamann sé / síHe does not bend | An gcamann sé / sí?Does he bend? |
| sinn (we) | CamaimidWe bend | Ní chamaimidWe do not bend | An gcamaimid?Do we bend? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Camann sibhYou bend | Ní chamann sibhYou do not bend | An gcamann sibh?Do you bend? |
| siad (they) | Camann siadThey bend | Ní chamann siadThey do not bend | An gcamann siad?Do they bend? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Camtar | Ní chamtar | An gcamtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Camfaidh méI will bend | Ní chamfaidh méI will not bend | An gcamfaidh mé?Will I bend? |
| tú (you) | Camfaidh túYou will bend | Ní chamfaidh túYou will not bend | An gcamfaidh tú?Will you bend? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Camfaidh sé / síHe will bend | Ní chamfaidh sé / síHe will not bend | An gcamfaidh sé / sí?Will he bend? |
| sinn (we) | CamfaimidWe will bend | Ní chamfaimidWe will not bend | An gcamfaimid?Will we bend? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Camfaidh sibhYou will bend | Ní chamfaidh sibhYou will not bend | An gcamfaidh sibh?Will you bend? |
| siad (they) | Camfaidh siadThey will bend | Ní chamfaidh siadThey will not bend | An gcamfaidh siad?Will they bend? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Camfar | Ní chamfar | An gcamfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChamfainnI would bend | Ní chamfainnI would not bend | An gcamfainn?Would I bend? |
| tú (you) | ChamfáYou would bend | Ní chamfáYou would not bend | An gcamfá?Would you bend? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chamfadh sé / síHe would bend | Ní chamfadh sé / síHe would not bend | An gcamfadh sé / sí?Would he bend? |
| sinn (we) | ChamfaimisWe would bend | Ní chamfaimisWe would not bend | An gcamfaimis?Would we bend? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chamfadh sibhYou would bend | Ní chamfadh sibhYou would not bend | An gcamfadh sibh?Would you bend? |
| siad (they) | ChamfaidísThey would bend | Ní chamfaidísThey would not bend | An gcamfaidís?Would they bend? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chamfaí | Ní chamfaí | An gcamfaí? |
“Cam” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To bend in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to bend?
The Irish for to bend is cam (pronounced “kowm”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is camadh.
What is the verbal noun of cam?
The verbal noun of cam is camadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag camadh (bending). The verbal adjective is camtha.
How do you say cam in the past and the future?
Past: Cham mé; negative Níor cham mé; question Ar cham mé?. Future: Camfaidh mé; negative Ní chamfaidh mé; question An gcamfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cam?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chamfainn (I would bend); negative Ní chamfainn; question An gcamfainn?.
Does cam have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cam can mean to bend or to distort, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How is 'cam' different from 'lúb'?
'Lúb' means to bend into a loop or curve, often flexibly, while 'cam' stresses making something crooked or out of true, and can also mean to twist the truth.
