HeyRuaHow to say “to assign” in Irish
- Irish:
- sann
- English:
- to assign, covet
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- sannadh (ag sannadh, assigning)
- Verbal adjective:
- sannta
- Pronunciation:
- “sown” /sˠaun̪ˠ/
What does “sann” mean?
“Sann” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to assign
- To give or allot something to someone, such as a task, property or a right.Also: allot, allocate, transfer.
1 other meaning: covet
- 2to covet
- To desire something greedily, especially something belonging to another person.Also: desire, crave.
“Sann” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Shann méI assigned | Níor shann méI did not assign | Ar shann mé?Did I assign? |
| tú (you) | Shann túYou assigned | Níor shann túYou did not assign | Ar shann tú?Did you assign? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shann sé / síHe assigned | Níor shann sé / síHe did not assign | Ar shann sé / sí?Did he assign? |
| sinn (we) | ShannamarWe assigned | Níor shannamarWe did not assign | Ar shannamar?Did we assign? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shann sibhYou assigned | Níor shann sibhYou did not assign | Ar shann sibh?Did you assign? |
| siad (they) | Shann siadThey assigned | Níor shann siadThey did not assign | Ar shann siad?Did they assign? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Sannadh | Níor sannadh | Ar sannadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SannaimI assign | Ní shannaimI do not assign | An sannaim?Do I assign? |
| tú (you) | Sannann túYou assign | Ní shannann túYou do not assign | An sannann tú?Do you assign? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Sannann sé / síHe assigns | Ní shannann sé / síHe does not assign | An sannann sé / sí?Does he assign? |
| sinn (we) | SannaimidWe assign | Ní shannaimidWe do not assign | An sannaimid?Do we assign? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Sannann sibhYou assign | Ní shannann sibhYou do not assign | An sannann sibh?Do you assign? |
| siad (they) | Sannann siadThey assign | Ní shannann siadThey do not assign | An sannann siad?Do they assign? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Sanntar | Ní shanntar | An sanntar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Sannfaidh méI will assign | Ní shannfaidh méI will not assign | An sannfaidh mé?Will I assign? |
| tú (you) | Sannfaidh túYou will assign | Ní shannfaidh túYou will not assign | An sannfaidh tú?Will you assign? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Sannfaidh sé / síHe will assign | Ní shannfaidh sé / síHe will not assign | An sannfaidh sé / sí?Will he assign? |
| sinn (we) | SannfaimidWe will assign | Ní shannfaimidWe will not assign | An sannfaimid?Will we assign? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Sannfaidh sibhYou will assign | Ní shannfaidh sibhYou will not assign | An sannfaidh sibh?Will you assign? |
| siad (they) | Sannfaidh siadThey will assign | Ní shannfaidh siadThey will not assign | An sannfaidh siad?Will they assign? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Sannfar | Ní shannfar | An sannfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ShannfainnI would assign | Ní shannfainnI would not assign | An sannfainn?Would I assign? |
| tú (you) | ShannfáYou would assign | Ní shannfáYou would not assign | An sannfá?Would you assign? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shannfadh sé / síHe would assign | Ní shannfadh sé / síHe would not assign | An sannfadh sé / sí?Would he assign? |
| sinn (we) | ShannfaimisWe would assign | Ní shannfaimisWe would not assign | An sannfaimis?Would we assign? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shannfadh sibhYou would assign | Ní shannfadh sibhYou would not assign | An sannfadh sibh?Would you assign? |
| siad (they) | ShannfaidísThey would assign | Ní shannfaidísThey would not assign | An sannfaidís?Would they assign? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Shannfaí | Ní shannfaí | An sannfaí? |
“Sann” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Shann an múinteoir tasc do gach dalta.
The teacher assigned a task to each pupil.
Sannann an coiste airgead do na grúpaí áitiúla.
The committee allocates money to the local groups.
Sannfaidh an bainisteoir ról nua duit amárach.
The manager will assign you a new role tomorrow.
Shannfadh sé an teach dá mhac dá bhféadfadh sé.
He would assign the house to his son if he could.
Níor shann siad aon chúram dom fós.
They haven't assigned me any duty yet.
Ar shann tú an obair don fhoireann?
Did you assign the work to the team?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To assign in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to assign?
The Irish for to assign is sann (pronounced “sown”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is sannadh.
What is the verbal noun of sann?
The verbal noun of sann is sannadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag sannadh (assigning). The verbal adjective is sannta.
How do you say sann in the past and the future?
Past: Shann mé; negative Níor shann mé; question Ar shann mé?. Future: Sannfaidh mé; negative Ní shannfaidh mé; question An sannfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of sann?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Shannfainn (I would assign); negative Ní shannfainn; question An sannfainn?.
Does sann have more than one meaning?
Yes. Sann can mean to assign or to covet, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Which preposition is used with 'sann'?
Use 'do' for the person receiving: 'shann sé an tasc dom', he assigned the task to me.
Is 'sann' the same as 'santaigh'?
No: 'santaigh' is the usual verb for covet or desire, while 'sann' is mainly used for assign or allot, especially in official and legal Irish.
