HeyRuaHow to say “to look” in Irish
- Irish:
- amharc
- English:
- to look, watch, examine
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- amharc (ag amharc, looking)
- Verbal adjective:
- amharctha
- Pronunciation:
- “OW-urk” /ˈavˠəɾˠk/
What does “amharc” mean?
“Amharc” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to look
- To direct your eyes towards something or someone, usually with 'ar'.Also: look at, gaze, view.
2 other meanings: watch or examine
- 2to watch
- To watch something such as television or a game.Also: observe, look on.
- 3to examine
- To look at something carefully in order to consider or check it.Also: inspect, look into, consider.
Other Irish verbs for to look: féach (look), breathnaigh (look)
“Amharc” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'amharc méI looked | Níor amharc méI did not look | Ar amharc mé?Did I look? |
| tú (you) | D'amharc túYou looked | Níor amharc túYou did not look | Ar amharc tú?Did you look? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'amharc sé / síHe looked | Níor amharc sé / síHe did not look | Ar amharc sé / sí?Did he look? |
| sinn (we) | D'amharcamarWe looked | Níor amharcamarWe did not look | Ar amharcamar?Did we look? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'amharc sibhYou looked | Níor amharc sibhYou did not look | Ar amharc sibh?Did you look? |
| siad (they) | D'amharc siadThey looked | Níor amharc siadThey did not look | Ar amharc siad?Did they look? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Amharcadh | Níor amharcadh | Ar amharcadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | AmharcaimI look | Ní amharcaimI do not look | An amharcaim?Do I look? |
| tú (you) | Amharcann túYou look | Ní amharcann túYou do not look | An amharcann tú?Do you look? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Amharcann sé / síHe looks | Ní amharcann sé / síHe does not look | An amharcann sé / sí?Does he look? |
| sinn (we) | AmharcaimidWe look | Ní amharcaimidWe do not look | An amharcaimid?Do we look? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Amharcann sibhYou look | Ní amharcann sibhYou do not look | An amharcann sibh?Do you look? |
| siad (they) | Amharcann siadThey look | Ní amharcann siadThey do not look | An amharcann siad?Do they look? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Amharctar | Ní amharctar | An amharctar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Amharcfaidh méI will look | Ní amharcfaidh méI will not look | An amharcfaidh mé?Will I look? |
| tú (you) | Amharcfaidh túYou will look | Ní amharcfaidh túYou will not look | An amharcfaidh tú?Will you look? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Amharcfaidh sé / síHe will look | Ní amharcfaidh sé / síHe will not look | An amharcfaidh sé / sí?Will he look? |
| sinn (we) | AmharcfaimidWe will look | Ní amharcfaimidWe will not look | An amharcfaimid?Will we look? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Amharcfaidh sibhYou will look | Ní amharcfaidh sibhYou will not look | An amharcfaidh sibh?Will you look? |
| siad (they) | Amharcfaidh siadThey will look | Ní amharcfaidh siadThey will not look | An amharcfaidh siad?Will they look? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Amharcfar | Ní amharcfar | An amharcfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'amharcfainnI would look | Ní amharcfainnI would not look | An amharcfainn?Would I look? |
| tú (you) | D'amharcfáYou would look | Ní amharcfáYou would not look | An amharcfá?Would you look? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'amharcfadh sé / síHe would look | Ní amharcfadh sé / síHe would not look | An amharcfadh sé / sí?Would he look? |
| sinn (we) | D'amharcfaimisWe would look | Ní amharcfaimisWe would not look | An amharcfaimis?Would we look? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'amharcfadh sibhYou would look | Ní amharcfadh sibhYou would not look | An amharcfadh sibh?Would you look? |
| siad (they) | D'amharcfaidísThey would look | Ní amharcfaidísThey would not look | An amharcfaidís?Would they look? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'amharcfaí | Ní amharcfaí | An amharcfaí? |
“Amharc” 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 look in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to look?
The Irish for to look is amharc (pronounced “OW-urk”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is amharc.
What is the verbal noun of amharc?
The verbal noun of amharc is amharc, used after ag for the continuous: ag amharc (looking). The verbal adjective is amharctha.
How do you say amharc in the past and the future?
Past: D'amharc mé; negative Níor amharc mé; question Ar amharc mé?. Future: Amharcfaidh mé; negative Ní amharcfaidh mé; question An amharcfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of amharc?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'amharcfainn (I would look); negative Ní amharcfainn; question An amharcfainn?.
Does amharc have more than one meaning?
Yes. Amharc can mean to look, to watch or to examine, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How is 'amharc' different from 'féach' and 'breathnaigh'?
All three mean 'look' and take 'ar': 'amharc ar' is typical of Ulster, 'breathnaigh ar' of Connacht and 'féach ar' is general and Munster.
Which preposition does 'amharc' take?
It takes 'ar' for the thing looked at, as in 'D'amharc sé ar an teach', 'He looked at the house'.
