HeyRuaHow to say “to refuse” in Irish
- Irish:
- eitigh
- English:
- to refuse, reject
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- eiteach (ag eiteach, refusing)
- Verbal adjective:
- eitithe
- Pronunciation:
- “ET-ee” /ɛtʲɪɟ/
What does “eitigh” mean?
“Eitigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to refuse
- To say no to a request, an offer or a person.Also: reject, turn down, deny, decline.
1 other meaning: reject
- 2to reject
- To refuse to accept someone, for example a suitor or an applicant.Also: turn down, refuse.
Other Irish verbs for to refuse: diúltaigh (refuse)
“Eitigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'eitigh méI refused | Níor eitigh méI did not refuse | Ar eitigh mé?Did I refuse? |
| tú (you) | D'eitigh túYou refused | Níor eitigh túYou did not refuse | Ar eitigh tú?Did you refuse? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'eitigh sé / síHe refused | Níor eitigh sé / síHe did not refuse | Ar eitigh sé / sí?Did he refuse? |
| sinn (we) | D'eitíomarWe refused | Níor eitíomarWe did not refuse | Ar eitíomar?Did we refuse? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'eitigh sibhYou refused | Níor eitigh sibhYou did not refuse | Ar eitigh sibh?Did you refuse? |
| siad (they) | D'eitigh siadThey refused | Níor eitigh siadThey did not refuse | Ar eitigh siad?Did they refuse? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Eitíodh | Níor eitíodh | Ar eitíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | EitímI refuse | Ní eitímI do not refuse | An eitím?Do I refuse? |
| tú (you) | Eitíonn túYou refuse | Ní eitíonn túYou do not refuse | An eitíonn tú?Do you refuse? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Eitíonn sé / síHe refuses | Ní eitíonn sé / síHe does not refuse | An eitíonn sé / sí?Does he refuse? |
| sinn (we) | EitímidWe refuse | Ní eitímidWe do not refuse | An eitímid?Do we refuse? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Eitíonn sibhYou refuse | Ní eitíonn sibhYou do not refuse | An eitíonn sibh?Do you refuse? |
| siad (they) | Eitíonn siadThey refuse | Ní eitíonn siadThey do not refuse | An eitíonn siad?Do they refuse? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Eitítear | Ní eitítear | An eitítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Eiteoidh méI will refuse | Ní eiteoidh méI will not refuse | An eiteoidh mé?Will I refuse? |
| tú (you) | Eiteoidh túYou will refuse | Ní eiteoidh túYou will not refuse | An eiteoidh tú?Will you refuse? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Eiteoidh sé / síHe will refuse | Ní eiteoidh sé / síHe will not refuse | An eiteoidh sé / sí?Will he refuse? |
| sinn (we) | EiteoimidWe will refuse | Ní eiteoimidWe will not refuse | An eiteoimid?Will we refuse? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Eiteoidh sibhYou will refuse | Ní eiteoidh sibhYou will not refuse | An eiteoidh sibh?Will you refuse? |
| siad (they) | Eiteoidh siadThey will refuse | Ní eiteoidh siadThey will not refuse | An eiteoidh siad?Will they refuse? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Eiteofar | Ní eiteofar | An eiteofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'eiteoinnI would refuse | Ní eiteoinnI would not refuse | An eiteoinn?Would I refuse? |
| tú (you) | D'eiteofáYou would refuse | Ní eiteofáYou would not refuse | An eiteofá?Would you refuse? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'eiteodh sé / síHe would refuse | Ní eiteodh sé / síHe would not refuse | An eiteodh sé / sí?Would he refuse? |
| sinn (we) | D'eiteoimisWe would refuse | Ní eiteoimisWe would not refuse | An eiteoimis?Would we refuse? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'eiteodh sibhYou would refuse | Ní eiteodh sibhYou would not refuse | An eiteodh sibh?Would you refuse? |
| siad (they) | D'eiteoidísThey would refuse | Ní eiteoidísThey would not refuse | An eiteoidís?Would they refuse? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'eiteofaí | Ní eiteofaí | An eiteofaí? |
“Eitigh” 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 refuse in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to refuse?
The Irish for to refuse is eitigh (pronounced “ET-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is eiteach.
What is the verbal noun of eitigh?
The verbal noun of eitigh is eiteach, used after ag for the continuous: ag eiteach (refusing). The verbal adjective is eitithe.
How do you say eitigh in the past and the future?
Past: D'eitigh mé; negative Níor eitigh mé; question Ar eitigh mé?. Future: Eiteoidh mé; negative Ní eiteoidh mé; question An eiteoidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of eitigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'eiteoinn (I would refuse); negative Ní eiteoinn; question An eiteoinn?.
Does eitigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Eitigh can mean to refuse or to reject, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'eitigh' and 'diúltaigh'?
Both mean refuse, but 'diúltaigh' usually takes 'do' or 'rud a dhéanamh' (dhiúltaigh sé dom), while 'eitigh' takes a direct object (d'eitigh sé mé). 'Diúltaigh' is the more common word in everyday speech.
How do I say someone was turned down?
A common way is with the verbal noun: 'Fuair sé eiteach', he got a refusal, or 'Thug sí eiteach dó', she turned him down.
