HeyRuaHow to say “to fail” in Irish
- Irish:
- clis
- English:
- to fail, start
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cliseadh (ag cliseadh, failing)
- Verbal adjective:
- cliste
- Pronunciation:
- “klish” /klʲiʃ/
What does “clis” mean?
“Clis” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to fail
- To stop working, fall short or let someone down.Also: break down, collapse, let down.
“Clis” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chlis méI failed | Níor chlis méI did not fail | Ar chlis mé?Did I fail? |
| tú (you) | Chlis túYou failed | Níor chlis túYou did not fail | Ar chlis tú?Did you fail? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chlis sé / síHe failed | Níor chlis sé / síHe did not fail | Ar chlis sé / sí?Did he fail? |
| sinn (we) | ChliseamarWe failed | Níor chliseamarWe did not fail | Ar chliseamar?Did we fail? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chlis sibhYou failed | Níor chlis sibhYou did not fail | Ar chlis sibh?Did you fail? |
| siad (they) | Chlis siadThey failed | Níor chlis siadThey did not fail | Ar chlis siad?Did they fail? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cliseadh | Níor cliseadh | Ar cliseadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ClisimI fail | Ní chlisimI do not fail | An gclisim?Do I fail? |
| tú (you) | Cliseann túYou fail | Ní chliseann túYou do not fail | An gcliseann tú?Do you fail? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cliseann sé / síHe fails | Ní chliseann sé / síHe does not fail | An gcliseann sé / sí?Does he fail? |
| sinn (we) | ClisimidWe fail | Ní chlisimidWe do not fail | An gclisimid?Do we fail? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cliseann sibhYou fail | Ní chliseann sibhYou do not fail | An gcliseann sibh?Do you fail? |
| siad (they) | Cliseann siadThey fail | Ní chliseann siadThey do not fail | An gcliseann siad?Do they fail? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Clistear | Ní chlistear | An gclistear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Clisfidh méI will fail | Ní chlisfidh méI will not fail | An gclisfidh mé?Will I fail? |
| tú (you) | Clisfidh túYou will fail | Ní chlisfidh túYou will not fail | An gclisfidh tú?Will you fail? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Clisfidh sé / síHe will fail | Ní chlisfidh sé / síHe will not fail | An gclisfidh sé / sí?Will he fail? |
| sinn (we) | ClisfimidWe will fail | Ní chlisfimidWe will not fail | An gclisfimid?Will we fail? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Clisfidh sibhYou will fail | Ní chlisfidh sibhYou will not fail | An gclisfidh sibh?Will you fail? |
| siad (they) | Clisfidh siadThey will fail | Ní chlisfidh siadThey will not fail | An gclisfidh siad?Will they fail? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Clisfear | Ní chlisfear | An gclisfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChlisfinnI would fail | Ní chlisfinnI would not fail | An gclisfinn?Would I fail? |
| tú (you) | ChlisfeáYou would fail | Ní chlisfeáYou would not fail | An gclisfeá?Would you fail? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chlisfeadh sé / síHe would fail | Ní chlisfeadh sé / síHe would not fail | An gclisfeadh sé / sí?Would he fail? |
| sinn (we) | ChlisfimisWe would fail | Ní chlisfimisWe would not fail | An gclisfimis?Would we fail? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chlisfeadh sibhYou would fail | Ní chlisfeadh sibhYou would not fail | An gclisfeadh sibh?Would you fail? |
| siad (they) | ChlisfidísThey would fail | Ní chlisfidísThey would not fail | An gclisfidís?Would they fail? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chlisfí | Ní chlisfí | An gclisfí? |
“Clis” 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 fail in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to fail?
The Irish for to fail is clis (pronounced “klish”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cliseadh.
What is the verbal noun of clis?
The verbal noun of clis is cliseadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag cliseadh (failing). The verbal adjective is cliste.
How do you say clis in the past and the future?
Past: Chlis mé; negative Níor chlis mé; question Ar chlis mé?. Future: Clisfidh mé; negative Ní chlisfidh mé; question An gclisfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of clis?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chlisfinn (I would fail); negative Ní chlisfinn; question An gclisfinn?.
Does clis have more than one meaning?
Yes. Clis can mean to fail or to start, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Which preposition does 'clis' take?
It usually takes 'ar' for the person affected: 'chlis an carr orm' means the car broke down on me.
How is 'clis' different from 'teip'?
Both mean fail; 'teip' is the general word for failing, while 'clis' suggests breaking down or collapsing, as in 'cliseadh airgeadais', financial collapse.
