HeyRuaHow to say “to feed” in Irish
- Irish:
- beathaigh
- English:
- to feed, fatten, rear
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- beathú (ag beathú, feeding)
- Verbal adjective:
- beathaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “BYAH-ee” /ˈbʲahə/
What does “beathaigh” mean?
“Beathaigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to feed
- To give food to a person or animal so that they are nourished.Also: nourish, sustain.
“Beathaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Bheathaigh méI fed | Níor bheathaigh méI did not feed | Ar bheathaigh mé?Did I feed? |
| tú (you) | Bheathaigh túYou fed | Níor bheathaigh túYou did not feed | Ar bheathaigh tú?Did you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bheathaigh sé / síHe fed | Níor bheathaigh sé / síHe did not feed | Ar bheathaigh sé / sí?Did he feed? |
| sinn (we) | BheathaíomarWe fed | Níor bheathaíomarWe did not feed | Ar bheathaíomar?Did we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bheathaigh sibhYou fed | Níor bheathaigh sibhYou did not feed | Ar bheathaigh sibh?Did you feed? |
| siad (they) | Bheathaigh siadThey fed | Níor bheathaigh siadThey did not feed | Ar bheathaigh siad?Did they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Beathaíodh | Níor beathaíodh | Ar beathaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BeathaímI feed | Ní bheathaímI do not feed | An mbeathaím?Do I feed? |
| tú (you) | Beathaíonn túYou feed | Ní bheathaíonn túYou do not feed | An mbeathaíonn tú?Do you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Beathaíonn sé / síHe feeds | Ní bheathaíonn sé / síHe does not feed | An mbeathaíonn sé / sí?Does he feed? |
| sinn (we) | BeathaímidWe feed | Ní bheathaímidWe do not feed | An mbeathaímid?Do we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Beathaíonn sibhYou feed | Ní bheathaíonn sibhYou do not feed | An mbeathaíonn sibh?Do you feed? |
| siad (they) | Beathaíonn siadThey feed | Ní bheathaíonn siadThey do not feed | An mbeathaíonn siad?Do they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Beathaítear | Ní bheathaítear | An mbeathaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Beathóidh méI will feed | Ní bheathóidh méI will not feed | An mbeathóidh mé?Will I feed? |
| tú (you) | Beathóidh túYou will feed | Ní bheathóidh túYou will not feed | An mbeathóidh tú?Will you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Beathóidh sé / síHe will feed | Ní bheathóidh sé / síHe will not feed | An mbeathóidh sé / sí?Will he feed? |
| sinn (we) | BeathóimidWe will feed | Ní bheathóimidWe will not feed | An mbeathóimid?Will we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Beathóidh sibhYou will feed | Ní bheathóidh sibhYou will not feed | An mbeathóidh sibh?Will you feed? |
| siad (they) | Beathóidh siadThey will feed | Ní bheathóidh siadThey will not feed | An mbeathóidh siad?Will they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Beathófar | Ní bheathófar | An mbeathófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BheathóinnI would feed | Ní bheathóinnI would not feed | An mbeathóinn?Would I feed? |
| tú (you) | BheathófáYou would feed | Ní bheathófáYou would not feed | An mbeathófá?Would you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bheathódh sé / síHe would feed | Ní bheathódh sé / síHe would not feed | An mbeathódh sé / sí?Would he feed? |
| sinn (we) | BheathóimisWe would feed | Ní bheathóimisWe would not feed | An mbeathóimis?Would we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bheathódh sibhYou would feed | Ní bheathódh sibhYou would not feed | An mbeathódh sibh?Would you feed? |
| siad (they) | BheathóidísThey would feed | Ní bheathóidísThey would not feed | An mbeathóidís?Would they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bheathófaí | Ní bheathófaí | An mbeathófaí? |
“Beathaigh” 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 feed in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to feed?
The Irish for to feed is beathaigh (pronounced “BYAH-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is beathú.
What is the verbal noun of beathaigh?
The verbal noun of beathaigh is beathú, used after ag for the continuous: ag beathú (feeding). The verbal adjective is beathaithe.
How do you say beathaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Bheathaigh mé; negative Níor bheathaigh mé; question Ar bheathaigh mé?. Future: Beathóidh mé; negative Ní bheathóidh mé; question An mbeathóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of beathaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Bheathóinn (I would feed); negative Ní bheathóinn; question An mbeathóinn?.
Does beathaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Beathaigh can mean to feed, to fatten or to rear, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'beathaigh' and 'cothaigh'?
Both mean to feed or nourish; 'beathaigh' is the everyday word for feeding people and animals, while 'cothaigh' also means to sustain or foster, as in 'cothaigh síocháin' (foster peace).
