HeyRuaHow to say “to help” in Irish
- Irish:
- cúnaigh
- English:
- to help
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cúnamh (ag cúnamh, helping)
- Verbal adjective:
- cúnaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KOO-nee” /ˈkuːnˠiː/
What does “cúnaigh” mean?
- to help
- To give help or assistance to someone.Also: assist, aid.
Other Irish verbs for to help: cuidigh (help), cabhraigh (help), fóir (help)
“Cúnaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chúnaigh méI helped | Níor chúnaigh méI did not help | Ar chúnaigh mé?Did I help? |
| tú (you) | Chúnaigh túYou helped | Níor chúnaigh túYou did not help | Ar chúnaigh tú?Did you help? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chúnaigh sé / síHe helped | Níor chúnaigh sé / síHe did not help | Ar chúnaigh sé / sí?Did he help? |
| sinn (we) | ChúnaíomarWe helped | Níor chúnaíomarWe did not help | Ar chúnaíomar?Did we help? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chúnaigh sibhYou helped | Níor chúnaigh sibhYou did not help | Ar chúnaigh sibh?Did you help? |
| siad (they) | Chúnaigh siadThey helped | Níor chúnaigh siadThey did not help | Ar chúnaigh siad?Did they help? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cúnaíodh | Níor cúnaíodh | Ar cúnaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CúnaímI help | Ní chúnaímI do not help | An gcúnaím?Do I help? |
| tú (you) | Cúnaíonn túYou help | Ní chúnaíonn túYou do not help | An gcúnaíonn tú?Do you help? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cúnaíonn sé / síHe helps | Ní chúnaíonn sé / síHe does not help | An gcúnaíonn sé / sí?Does he help? |
| sinn (we) | CúnaímidWe help | Ní chúnaímidWe do not help | An gcúnaímid?Do we help? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cúnaíonn sibhYou help | Ní chúnaíonn sibhYou do not help | An gcúnaíonn sibh?Do you help? |
| siad (they) | Cúnaíonn siadThey help | Ní chúnaíonn siadThey do not help | An gcúnaíonn siad?Do they help? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cúnaítear | Ní chúnaítear | An gcúnaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cúnóidh méI will help | Ní chúnóidh méI will not help | An gcúnóidh mé?Will I help? |
| tú (you) | Cúnóidh túYou will help | Ní chúnóidh túYou will not help | An gcúnóidh tú?Will you help? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cúnóidh sé / síHe will help | Ní chúnóidh sé / síHe will not help | An gcúnóidh sé / sí?Will he help? |
| sinn (we) | CúnóimidWe will help | Ní chúnóimidWe will not help | An gcúnóimid?Will we help? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cúnóidh sibhYou will help | Ní chúnóidh sibhYou will not help | An gcúnóidh sibh?Will you help? |
| siad (they) | Cúnóidh siadThey will help | Ní chúnóidh siadThey will not help | An gcúnóidh siad?Will they help? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cúnófar | Ní chúnófar | An gcúnófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChúnóinnI would help | Ní chúnóinnI would not help | An gcúnóinn?Would I help? |
| tú (you) | ChúnófáYou would help | Ní chúnófáYou would not help | An gcúnófá?Would you help? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chúnódh sé / síHe would help | Ní chúnódh sé / síHe would not help | An gcúnódh sé / sí?Would he help? |
| sinn (we) | ChúnóimisWe would help | Ní chúnóimisWe would not help | An gcúnóimis?Would we help? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chúnódh sibhYou would help | Ní chúnódh sibhYou would not help | An gcúnódh sibh?Would you help? |
| siad (they) | ChúnóidísThey would help | Ní chúnóidísThey would not help | An gcúnóidís?Would they help? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chúnófaí | Ní chúnófaí | An gcúnófaí? |
“Cúnaigh” 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 help in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to help?
The Irish for to help is cúnaigh (pronounced “KOO-nee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cúnamh.
What is the verbal noun of cúnaigh?
The verbal noun of cúnaigh is cúnamh, used after ag for the continuous: ag cúnamh (helping). The verbal adjective is cúnaithe.
How do you say cúnaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Chúnaigh mé; negative Níor chúnaigh mé; question Ar chúnaigh mé?. Future: Cúnóidh mé; negative Ní chúnóidh mé; question An gcúnóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cúnaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chúnóinn (I would help); negative Ní chúnóinn; question An gcúnóinn?.
How is 'cúnaigh' different from 'cabhraigh' and 'cuidigh'?
All three mean 'help'; 'cabhraigh' is the most widespread, 'cuidigh' is common in Ulster, and 'cúnaigh' is heard especially in Connacht. The verbal noun 'cúnamh' is used everywhere.
Which preposition goes with 'cúnaigh'?
It usually takes 'le': 'cúnaigh liom' means 'help me'.
