HeyRuaHow to say “to lower” in Irish
- Irish:
- ísligh
- English:
- to lower, reduce, descend, humble
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- ísliú (ag ísliú, lowering)
- Verbal adjective:
- íslithe
- Pronunciation:
- “EESH-lee” /ˈiːʃlʲiː/
What does “ísligh” mean?
“Ísligh” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to lower
- To move something to a lower position or make it less high or loud.Also: turn down, let down, bring down.
3 other meanings: reduce or descend or humble
- 2to reduce
- To make an amount, level or price smaller, or to become smaller.Also: decrease, drop, bring down.
- 3to descend
- To go or come down, to sink to a lower level.Also: go down, come down, sink, dim.
- 4to humble
- To bring someone down in status or pride, or to bow down oneself.Also: humiliate, demean, demote, bow down.
“Ísligh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'ísligh méI lowered | Níor ísligh méI did not lower | Ar ísligh mé?Did I lower? |
| tú (you) | D'ísligh túYou lowered | Níor ísligh túYou did not lower | Ar ísligh tú?Did you lower? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'ísligh sé / síHe lowered | Níor ísligh sé / síHe did not lower | Ar ísligh sé / sí?Did he lower? |
| sinn (we) | D'íslíomarWe lowered | Níor íslíomarWe did not lower | Ar íslíomar?Did we lower? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'ísligh sibhYou lowered | Níor ísligh sibhYou did not lower | Ar ísligh sibh?Did you lower? |
| siad (they) | D'ísligh siadThey lowered | Níor ísligh siadThey did not lower | Ar ísligh siad?Did they lower? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Íslíodh | Níor íslíodh | Ar íslíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ÍslímI lower | Ní íslímI do not lower | An íslím?Do I lower? |
| tú (you) | Íslíonn túYou lower | Ní íslíonn túYou do not lower | An íslíonn tú?Do you lower? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Íslíonn sé / síHe lowers | Ní íslíonn sé / síHe does not lower | An íslíonn sé / sí?Does he lower? |
| sinn (we) | ÍslímidWe lower | Ní íslímidWe do not lower | An íslímid?Do we lower? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Íslíonn sibhYou lower | Ní íslíonn sibhYou do not lower | An íslíonn sibh?Do you lower? |
| siad (they) | Íslíonn siadThey lower | Ní íslíonn siadThey do not lower | An íslíonn siad?Do they lower? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Íslítear | Ní íslítear | An íslítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Ísleoidh méI will lower | Ní ísleoidh méI will not lower | An ísleoidh mé?Will I lower? |
| tú (you) | Ísleoidh túYou will lower | Ní ísleoidh túYou will not lower | An ísleoidh tú?Will you lower? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ísleoidh sé / síHe will lower | Ní ísleoidh sé / síHe will not lower | An ísleoidh sé / sí?Will he lower? |
| sinn (we) | ÍsleoimidWe will lower | Ní ísleoimidWe will not lower | An ísleoimid?Will we lower? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ísleoidh sibhYou will lower | Ní ísleoidh sibhYou will not lower | An ísleoidh sibh?Will you lower? |
| siad (they) | Ísleoidh siadThey will lower | Ní ísleoidh siadThey will not lower | An ísleoidh siad?Will they lower? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ísleofar | Ní ísleofar | An ísleofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'ísleoinnI would lower | Ní ísleoinnI would not lower | An ísleoinn?Would I lower? |
| tú (you) | D'ísleofáYou would lower | Ní ísleofáYou would not lower | An ísleofá?Would you lower? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'ísleodh sé / síHe would lower | Ní ísleodh sé / síHe would not lower | An ísleodh sé / sí?Would he lower? |
| sinn (we) | D'ísleoimisWe would lower | Ní ísleoimisWe would not lower | An ísleoimis?Would we lower? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'ísleodh sibhYou would lower | Ní ísleodh sibhYou would not lower | An ísleodh sibh?Would you lower? |
| siad (they) | D'ísleoidísThey would lower | Ní ísleoidísThey would not lower | An ísleoidís?Would they lower? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'ísleofaí | Ní ísleofaí | An ísleofaí? |
“Ísligh” 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 lower in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to lower?
The Irish for to lower is ísligh (pronounced “EESH-lee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is ísliú.
What is the verbal noun of ísligh?
The verbal noun of ísligh is ísliú, used after ag for the continuous: ag ísliú (lowering). The verbal adjective is íslithe.
How do you say ísligh in the past and the future?
Past: D'ísligh mé; negative Níor ísligh mé; question Ar ísligh mé?. Future: Ísleoidh mé; negative Ní ísleoidh mé; question An ísleoidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of ísligh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'ísleoinn (I would lower); negative Ní ísleoinn; question An ísleoinn?.
Does ísligh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Ísligh can mean to lower, to reduce, to descend or to humble, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'ísligh' and 'laghdaigh'?
'Ísligh' is mainly about making something lower in height, level or volume, as in 'ísligh an raidió', while 'laghdaigh' means to reduce or lessen an amount, as in 'laghdaigh an costas'. They overlap for prices and levels.
What is the opposite of 'ísligh'?
The opposite is 'ardaigh', to raise or lift, as in 'ardaigh do ghlór' (raise your voice) versus 'ísligh do ghlór' (lower your voice).
