HeyRuaHow to say “to carve” in Irish
- Irish:
- snoigh
- English:
- to carve, wear away
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- snoí (ag snoí, carving)
- Verbal adjective:
- snoite
- Pronunciation:
- “snee” /sn̪ˠiː/
What does “snoigh” mean?
“Snoigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to carve
- To shape wood or stone by cutting pieces away from it.Also: sculpt, whittle, hew.
1 other meaning: wear away
- 2to wear away
- To wear something down or make it thin and worn over time.Also: erode, wear down, waste.
“Snoigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Shnoigh méI carved | Níor shnoigh méI did not carve | Ar shnoigh mé?Did I carve? |
| tú (you) | Shnoigh túYou carved | Níor shnoigh túYou did not carve | Ar shnoigh tú?Did you carve? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shnoigh sé / síHe carved | Níor shnoigh sé / síHe did not carve | Ar shnoigh sé / sí?Did he carve? |
| sinn (we) | ShnoíomarWe carved | Níor shnoíomarWe did not carve | Ar shnoíomar?Did we carve? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shnoigh sibhYou carved | Níor shnoigh sibhYou did not carve | Ar shnoigh sibh?Did you carve? |
| siad (they) | Shnoigh siadThey carved | Níor shnoigh siadThey did not carve | Ar shnoigh siad?Did they carve? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Snoíodh | Níor snoíodh | Ar snoíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SnoímI carve | Ní shnoímI do not carve | An snoím?Do I carve? |
| tú (you) | Snoíonn túYou carve | Ní shnoíonn túYou do not carve | An snoíonn tú?Do you carve? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Snoíonn sé / síHe carves | Ní shnoíonn sé / síHe does not carve | An snoíonn sé / sí?Does he carve? |
| sinn (we) | SnoímidWe carve | Ní shnoímidWe do not carve | An snoímid?Do we carve? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Snoíonn sibhYou carve | Ní shnoíonn sibhYou do not carve | An snoíonn sibh?Do you carve? |
| siad (they) | Snoíonn siadThey carve | Ní shnoíonn siadThey do not carve | An snoíonn siad?Do they carve? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Snoitear | Ní shnoitear | An snoitear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Snoífidh méI will carve | Ní shnoífidh méI will not carve | An snoífidh mé?Will I carve? |
| tú (you) | Snoífidh túYou will carve | Ní shnoífidh túYou will not carve | An snoífidh tú?Will you carve? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Snoífidh sé / síHe will carve | Ní shnoífidh sé / síHe will not carve | An snoífidh sé / sí?Will he carve? |
| sinn (we) | SnoífimidWe will carve | Ní shnoífimidWe will not carve | An snoífimid?Will we carve? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Snoífidh sibhYou will carve | Ní shnoífidh sibhYou will not carve | An snoífidh sibh?Will you carve? |
| siad (they) | Snoífidh siadThey will carve | Ní shnoífidh siadThey will not carve | An snoífidh siad?Will they carve? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Snoífear | Ní shnoífear | An snoífear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ShnoífinnI would carve | Ní shnoífinnI would not carve | An snoífinn?Would I carve? |
| tú (you) | ShnoífeáYou would carve | Ní shnoífeáYou would not carve | An snoífeá?Would you carve? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shnoífeadh sé / síHe would carve | Ní shnoífeadh sé / síHe would not carve | An snoífeadh sé / sí?Would he carve? |
| sinn (we) | ShnoífimisWe would carve | Ní shnoífimisWe would not carve | An snoífimis?Would we carve? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shnoífeadh sibhYou would carve | Ní shnoífeadh sibhYou would not carve | An snoífeadh sibh?Would you carve? |
| siad (they) | ShnoífidísThey would carve | Ní shnoífidísThey would not carve | An snoífidís?Would they carve? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Shnoífí | Ní shnoífí | An snoífí? |
“Snoigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Shnoigh sé dealbh bheag as adhmad.
He carved a small statue out of wood.
Snoíonn m'athair maidí siúil sa gheimhreadh.
My father carves walking sticks in the winter.
Snoífidh mé d'ainm ar an gcloch.
I will carve your name on the stone.
Shnoífeadh sí rud ar bith dá mbeadh scian aici.
She would carve anything if she had a knife.
Níor shnoigh siad an t-adhmad fós.
They haven't carved the wood yet.
Ar shnoigh tú é sin tú féin?
Did you carve that yourself?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To carve in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to carve?
The Irish for to carve is snoigh (pronounced “snee”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is snoí.
What is the verbal noun of snoigh?
The verbal noun of snoigh is snoí, used after ag for the continuous: ag snoí (carving). The verbal adjective is snoite.
How do you say snoigh in the past and the future?
Past: Shnoigh mé; negative Níor shnoigh mé; question Ar shnoigh mé?. Future: Snoífidh mé; negative Ní shnoífidh mé; question An snoífidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of snoigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Shnoífinn (I would carve); negative Ní shnoífinn; question An snoífinn?.
Does snoigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Snoigh can mean to carve or to wear away, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'snoigh' and 'grean'?
'Snoigh' means to carve or shape a material such as wood or stone, while 'grean' means to engrave or etch lines into a surface.
