HeyRuaHow to say “to gnaw” in Irish
- Irish:
- crinn
- English:
- to gnaw, nibble
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- crinneadh (ag crinneadh, gnawing)
- Verbal adjective:
- crinnte
- Pronunciation:
- “kreen” /kʲɾʲiːnʲ/
What does “crinn” mean?
“Crinn” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to gnaw
- To bite or chew at something hard again and again, as a dog does with a bone.Also: gnaw at, chew on, nibble.
1 other meaning: nibble
- 2to nibble
- To eat something in small bites.Also: pick at, munch.
“Crinn” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chrinn méI gnawed | Níor chrinn méI did not gnaw | Ar chrinn mé?Did I gnaw? |
| tú (you) | Chrinn túYou gnawed | Níor chrinn túYou did not gnaw | Ar chrinn tú?Did you gnaw? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chrinn sé / síHe gnawed | Níor chrinn sé / síHe did not gnaw | Ar chrinn sé / sí?Did he gnaw? |
| sinn (we) | ChrinneamarWe gnawed | Níor chrinneamarWe did not gnaw | Ar chrinneamar?Did we gnaw? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chrinn sibhYou gnawed | Níor chrinn sibhYou did not gnaw | Ar chrinn sibh?Did you gnaw? |
| siad (they) | Chrinn siadThey gnawed | Níor chrinn siadThey did not gnaw | Ar chrinn siad?Did they gnaw? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Crinneadh | Níor crinneadh | Ar crinneadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CrinnimI gnaw | Ní chrinnimI do not gnaw | An gcrinnim?Do I gnaw? |
| tú (you) | Crinneann túYou gnaw | Ní chrinneann túYou do not gnaw | An gcrinneann tú?Do you gnaw? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Crinneann sé / síHe gnaws | Ní chrinneann sé / síHe does not gnaw | An gcrinneann sé / sí?Does he gnaw? |
| sinn (we) | CrinnimidWe gnaw | Ní chrinnimidWe do not gnaw | An gcrinnimid?Do we gnaw? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Crinneann sibhYou gnaw | Ní chrinneann sibhYou do not gnaw | An gcrinneann sibh?Do you gnaw? |
| siad (they) | Crinneann siadThey gnaw | Ní chrinneann siadThey do not gnaw | An gcrinneann siad?Do they gnaw? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Crinntear | Ní chrinntear | An gcrinntear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Crinnfidh méI will gnaw | Ní chrinnfidh méI will not gnaw | An gcrinnfidh mé?Will I gnaw? |
| tú (you) | Crinnfidh túYou will gnaw | Ní chrinnfidh túYou will not gnaw | An gcrinnfidh tú?Will you gnaw? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Crinnfidh sé / síHe will gnaw | Ní chrinnfidh sé / síHe will not gnaw | An gcrinnfidh sé / sí?Will he gnaw? |
| sinn (we) | CrinnfimidWe will gnaw | Ní chrinnfimidWe will not gnaw | An gcrinnfimid?Will we gnaw? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Crinnfidh sibhYou will gnaw | Ní chrinnfidh sibhYou will not gnaw | An gcrinnfidh sibh?Will you gnaw? |
| siad (they) | Crinnfidh siadThey will gnaw | Ní chrinnfidh siadThey will not gnaw | An gcrinnfidh siad?Will they gnaw? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Crinnfear | Ní chrinnfear | An gcrinnfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChrinnfinnI would gnaw | Ní chrinnfinnI would not gnaw | An gcrinnfinn?Would I gnaw? |
| tú (you) | ChrinnfeáYou would gnaw | Ní chrinnfeáYou would not gnaw | An gcrinnfeá?Would you gnaw? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chrinnfeadh sé / síHe would gnaw | Ní chrinnfeadh sé / síHe would not gnaw | An gcrinnfeadh sé / sí?Would he gnaw? |
| sinn (we) | ChrinnfimisWe would gnaw | Ní chrinnfimisWe would not gnaw | An gcrinnfimis?Would we gnaw? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chrinnfeadh sibhYou would gnaw | Ní chrinnfeadh sibhYou would not gnaw | An gcrinnfeadh sibh?Would you gnaw? |
| siad (they) | ChrinnfidísThey would gnaw | Ní chrinnfidísThey would not gnaw | An gcrinnfidís?Would they gnaw? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chrinnfí | Ní chrinnfí | An gcrinnfí? |
“Crinn” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chrinn an madra an cnámh ar feadh an lae.
The dog gnawed the bone all day.
Crinneann an luch an cháis gach oíche.
The mouse nibbles the cheese every night.
Crinnfidh na coiníní na cáblaí sin.
The rabbits will gnaw those cables.
Chrinnfeadh sé a ingne dá mbeadh imní air.
He would bite his nails if he were worried.
Níor chrinn an cat an bia ar chor ar bith.
The cat didn't nibble the food at all.
An gcrinneann do mhadra bróga?
Does your dog chew shoes?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To gnaw in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to gnaw?
The Irish for to gnaw is crinn (pronounced “kreen”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is crinneadh.
What is the verbal noun of crinn?
The verbal noun of crinn is crinneadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag crinneadh (gnawing). The verbal adjective is crinnte.
How do you say crinn in the past and the future?
Past: Chrinn mé; negative Níor chrinn mé; question Ar chrinn mé?. Future: Crinnfidh mé; negative Ní chrinnfidh mé; question An gcrinnfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of crinn?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chrinnfinn (I would gnaw); negative Ní chrinnfinn; question An gcrinnfinn?.
Does crinn have more than one meaning?
Yes. Crinn can mean to gnaw or to nibble, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'crinn' and 'creim'?
Both can mean gnaw, but 'crinn' is the everyday word for an animal gnawing a bone, while 'creim' also means to corrode or erode, as in 'creimeann meirg an t-iarann'.
