HeyRuaHow to say “to heap” in Irish
- Irish:
- carnaigh
- English:
- to heap, accumulate
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- carnú (ag carnú, heaping)
- Verbal adjective:
- carnaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KAR-nee” /ˈkaɾˠn̪ˠiː/
What does “carnaigh” mean?
“Carnaigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to heap
- To pile things up into a heap or mound.Also: pile, pile up, stack.
1 other meaning: accumulate
- 2to accumulate
- To gather or build up a large amount of something, such as money or wealth.Also: amass, hoard, build up.
Other Irish verbs for to heap: carn (heap)
“Carnaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Charnaigh méI heaped | Níor charnaigh méI did not heap | Ar charnaigh mé?Did I heap? |
| tú (you) | Charnaigh túYou heaped | Níor charnaigh túYou did not heap | Ar charnaigh tú?Did you heap? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Charnaigh sé / síHe heaped | Níor charnaigh sé / síHe did not heap | Ar charnaigh sé / sí?Did he heap? |
| sinn (we) | CharnaíomarWe heaped | Níor charnaíomarWe did not heap | Ar charnaíomar?Did we heap? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Charnaigh sibhYou heaped | Níor charnaigh sibhYou did not heap | Ar charnaigh sibh?Did you heap? |
| siad (they) | Charnaigh siadThey heaped | Níor charnaigh siadThey did not heap | Ar charnaigh siad?Did they heap? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Carnaíodh | Níor carnaíodh | Ar carnaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CarnaímI heap | Ní charnaímI do not heap | An gcarnaím?Do I heap? |
| tú (you) | Carnaíonn túYou heap | Ní charnaíonn túYou do not heap | An gcarnaíonn tú?Do you heap? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Carnaíonn sé / síHe heaps | Ní charnaíonn sé / síHe does not heap | An gcarnaíonn sé / sí?Does he heap? |
| sinn (we) | CarnaímidWe heap | Ní charnaímidWe do not heap | An gcarnaímid?Do we heap? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Carnaíonn sibhYou heap | Ní charnaíonn sibhYou do not heap | An gcarnaíonn sibh?Do you heap? |
| siad (they) | Carnaíonn siadThey heap | Ní charnaíonn siadThey do not heap | An gcarnaíonn siad?Do they heap? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Carnaítear | Ní charnaítear | An gcarnaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Carnóidh méI will heap | Ní charnóidh méI will not heap | An gcarnóidh mé?Will I heap? |
| tú (you) | Carnóidh túYou will heap | Ní charnóidh túYou will not heap | An gcarnóidh tú?Will you heap? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Carnóidh sé / síHe will heap | Ní charnóidh sé / síHe will not heap | An gcarnóidh sé / sí?Will he heap? |
| sinn (we) | CarnóimidWe will heap | Ní charnóimidWe will not heap | An gcarnóimid?Will we heap? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Carnóidh sibhYou will heap | Ní charnóidh sibhYou will not heap | An gcarnóidh sibh?Will you heap? |
| siad (they) | Carnóidh siadThey will heap | Ní charnóidh siadThey will not heap | An gcarnóidh siad?Will they heap? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Carnófar | Ní charnófar | An gcarnófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CharnóinnI would heap | Ní charnóinnI would not heap | An gcarnóinn?Would I heap? |
| tú (you) | CharnófáYou would heap | Ní charnófáYou would not heap | An gcarnófá?Would you heap? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Charnódh sé / síHe would heap | Ní charnódh sé / síHe would not heap | An gcarnódh sé / sí?Would he heap? |
| sinn (we) | CharnóimisWe would heap | Ní charnóimisWe would not heap | An gcarnóimis?Would we heap? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Charnódh sibhYou would heap | Ní charnódh sibhYou would not heap | An gcarnódh sibh?Would you heap? |
| siad (they) | CharnóidísThey would heap | Ní charnóidísThey would not heap | An gcarnóidís?Would they heap? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Charnófaí | Ní charnófaí | An gcarnófaí? |
“Carnaigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Charnaigh sé na clocha sa chúinne.
He heaped the stones in the corner.
Carnaíonn sí airgead gach bliain.
She accumulates money every year.
Carnóimid an féar amárach.
We will pile up the hay tomorrow.
Charnódh sé saibhreas dá mbeadh an deis aige.
He would amass wealth if he had the chance.
Níor charnaigh siad na boscaí fós.
They haven't stacked the boxes yet.
Ar charnaigh tú na leabhair ar an mbord?
Did you pile the books on the table?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To heap in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to heap?
The Irish for to heap is carnaigh (pronounced “KAR-nee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is carnú.
What is the verbal noun of carnaigh?
The verbal noun of carnaigh is carnú, used after ag for the continuous: ag carnú (heaping). The verbal adjective is carnaithe.
How do you say carnaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Charnaigh mé; negative Níor charnaigh mé; question Ar charnaigh mé?. Future: Carnóidh mé; negative Ní charnóidh mé; question An gcarnóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of carnaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Charnóinn (I would heap); negative Ní charnóinn; question An gcarnóinn?.
Does carnaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Carnaigh can mean to heap or to accumulate, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How is 'carnaigh' related to the noun 'carn'?
'Carnaigh' comes from 'carn', a heap or cairn, so 'carnaigh' means to make a heap, as in 'carnaigh na clocha'.
