HeyRuaHow to say “to dance” in Irish
- Irish:
- rinc
- English:
- to dance
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- rince (ag rince, dancing)
- Verbal adjective:
- rincthe
- Pronunciation:
- “rink” /ɾˠɪɲc/
What does “rinc” mean?
- to dance
- To move your body in rhythm to music.Also: step dance, jig.
Other Irish verbs for to dance: damhsaigh (dance)
“Rinc” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Rinc méI danced | Níor rinc méI did not dance | Ar rinc mé?Did I dance? |
| tú (you) | Rinc túYou danced | Níor rinc túYou did not dance | Ar rinc tú?Did you dance? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Rinc sé / síHe danced | Níor rinc sé / síHe did not dance | Ar rinc sé / sí?Did he dance? |
| sinn (we) | RinceamarWe danced | Níor rinceamarWe did not dance | Ar rinceamar?Did we dance? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Rinc sibhYou danced | Níor rinc sibhYou did not dance | Ar rinc sibh?Did you dance? |
| siad (they) | Rinc siadThey danced | Níor rinc siadThey did not dance | Ar rinc siad?Did they dance? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Rinceadh | Níor rinceadh | Ar rinceadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | RincimI dance | Ní rincimI do not dance | An rincim?Do I dance? |
| tú (you) | Rinceann túYou dance | Ní rinceann túYou do not dance | An rinceann tú?Do you dance? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Rinceann sé / síHe dances | Ní rinceann sé / síHe does not dance | An rinceann sé / sí?Does he dance? |
| sinn (we) | RincimidWe dance | Ní rincimidWe do not dance | An rincimid?Do we dance? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Rinceann sibhYou dance | Ní rinceann sibhYou do not dance | An rinceann sibh?Do you dance? |
| siad (they) | Rinceann siadThey dance | Ní rinceann siadThey do not dance | An rinceann siad?Do they dance? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Rinctear | Ní rinctear | An rinctear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Rincfidh méI will dance | Ní rincfidh méI will not dance | An rincfidh mé?Will I dance? |
| tú (you) | Rincfidh túYou will dance | Ní rincfidh túYou will not dance | An rincfidh tú?Will you dance? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Rincfidh sé / síHe will dance | Ní rincfidh sé / síHe will not dance | An rincfidh sé / sí?Will he dance? |
| sinn (we) | RincfimidWe will dance | Ní rincfimidWe will not dance | An rincfimid?Will we dance? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Rincfidh sibhYou will dance | Ní rincfidh sibhYou will not dance | An rincfidh sibh?Will you dance? |
| siad (they) | Rincfidh siadThey will dance | Ní rincfidh siadThey will not dance | An rincfidh siad?Will they dance? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Rincfear | Ní rincfear | An rincfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | RincfinnI would dance | Ní rincfinnI would not dance | An rincfinn?Would I dance? |
| tú (you) | RincfeáYou would dance | Ní rincfeáYou would not dance | An rincfeá?Would you dance? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Rincfeadh sé / síHe would dance | Ní rincfeadh sé / síHe would not dance | An rincfeadh sé / sí?Would he dance? |
| sinn (we) | RincfimisWe would dance | Ní rincfimisWe would not dance | An rincfimis?Would we dance? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Rincfeadh sibhYou would dance | Ní rincfeadh sibhYou would not dance | An rincfeadh sibh?Would you dance? |
| siad (they) | RincfidísThey would dance | Ní rincfidísThey would not dance | An rincfidís?Would they dance? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Rincfí | Ní rincfí | An rincfí? |
“Rinc” 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 dance in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to dance?
The Irish for to dance is rinc (pronounced “rink”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is rince.
What is the verbal noun of rinc?
The verbal noun of rinc is rince, used after ag for the continuous: ag rince (dancing). The verbal adjective is rincthe.
How do you say rinc in the past and the future?
Past: Rinc mé; negative Níor rinc mé; question Ar rinc mé?. Future: Rincfidh mé; negative Ní rincfidh mé; question An rincfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of rinc?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Rincfinn (I would dance); negative Ní rincfinn; question An rincfinn?.
What is the difference between 'rinc' and 'damhsaigh'?
Both mean to dance. 'Rinc' (verbal noun 'rince') is standard and common, especially for Irish dancing, as in 'rince Gaelach', while 'damhsaigh' (verbal noun 'damhsa') is used widely in Connacht.
How do I say 'dancing' in Irish?
Use 'ag rince', as in 'Tá siad ag rince', meaning 'They are dancing'.
