HeyRuaHow to say “to back” in Irish
- Irish:
- cúlaigh
- English:
- to back, retreat, recede, regress
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cúlú (ag cúlú, backing)
- Verbal adjective:
- cúlaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KOO-lee” /ˈkuːlˠiː/
What does “cúlaigh” mean?
“Cúlaigh” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to back
- To move backwards or make something, such as a car, go in reverse.Also: reverse, move back, back up.
3 other meanings: retreat or recede or regress
- 2to retreat
- To withdraw or pull back, especially of an army or of someone avoiding danger.Also: withdraw, retire, fall back.
- 3to recede
- To move away or go back, as water or a line of hair does.Also: ebb, go back.
- 4to regress
- To go back to an earlier or worse stage.Also: decline, go backwards.
Other Irish verbs for to back: tacaigh (support), baiceáil (back)
“Cúlaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chúlaigh méI backed | Níor chúlaigh méI did not back | Ar chúlaigh mé?Did I back? |
| tú (you) | Chúlaigh túYou backed | Níor chúlaigh túYou did not back | Ar chúlaigh tú?Did you back? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chúlaigh sé / síHe backed | Níor chúlaigh sé / síHe did not back | Ar chúlaigh sé / sí?Did he back? |
| sinn (we) | ChúlaíomarWe backed | Níor chúlaíomarWe did not back | Ar chúlaíomar?Did we back? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chúlaigh sibhYou backed | Níor chúlaigh sibhYou did not back | Ar chúlaigh sibh?Did you back? |
| siad (they) | Chúlaigh siadThey backed | Níor chúlaigh siadThey did not back | Ar chúlaigh siad?Did they back? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cúlaíodh | Níor cúlaíodh | Ar cúlaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CúlaímI back | Ní chúlaímI do not back | An gcúlaím?Do I back? |
| tú (you) | Cúlaíonn túYou back | Ní chúlaíonn túYou do not back | An gcúlaíonn tú?Do you back? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cúlaíonn sé / síHe backs | Ní chúlaíonn sé / síHe does not back | An gcúlaíonn sé / sí?Does he back? |
| sinn (we) | CúlaímidWe back | Ní chúlaímidWe do not back | An gcúlaímid?Do we back? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cúlaíonn sibhYou back | Ní chúlaíonn sibhYou do not back | An gcúlaíonn sibh?Do you back? |
| siad (they) | Cúlaíonn siadThey back | Ní chúlaíonn siadThey do not back | An gcúlaíonn siad?Do they back? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cúlaítear | Ní chúlaítear | An gcúlaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cúlóidh méI will back | Ní chúlóidh méI will not back | An gcúlóidh mé?Will I back? |
| tú (you) | Cúlóidh túYou will back | Ní chúlóidh túYou will not back | An gcúlóidh tú?Will you back? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cúlóidh sé / síHe will back | Ní chúlóidh sé / síHe will not back | An gcúlóidh sé / sí?Will he back? |
| sinn (we) | CúlóimidWe will back | Ní chúlóimidWe will not back | An gcúlóimid?Will we back? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cúlóidh sibhYou will back | Ní chúlóidh sibhYou will not back | An gcúlóidh sibh?Will you back? |
| siad (they) | Cúlóidh siadThey will back | Ní chúlóidh siadThey will not back | An gcúlóidh siad?Will they back? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cúlófar | Ní chúlófar | An gcúlófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChúlóinnI would back | Ní chúlóinnI would not back | An gcúlóinn?Would I back? |
| tú (you) | ChúlófáYou would back | Ní chúlófáYou would not back | An gcúlófá?Would you back? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chúlódh sé / síHe would back | Ní chúlódh sé / síHe would not back | An gcúlódh sé / sí?Would he back? |
| sinn (we) | ChúlóimisWe would back | Ní chúlóimisWe would not back | An gcúlóimis?Would we back? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chúlódh sibhYou would back | Ní chúlódh sibhYou would not back | An gcúlódh sibh?Would you back? |
| siad (they) | ChúlóidísThey would back | Ní chúlóidísThey would not back | An gcúlóidís?Would they back? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chúlófaí | Ní chúlófaí | An gcúlófaí? |
“Cúlaigh” 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 back in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to back?
The Irish for to back is cúlaigh (pronounced “KOO-lee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cúlú.
What is the verbal noun of cúlaigh?
The verbal noun of cúlaigh is cúlú, used after ag for the continuous: ag cúlú (backing). The verbal adjective is cúlaithe.
How do you say cúlaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Chúlaigh mé; negative Níor chúlaigh mé; question Ar chúlaigh mé?. Future: Cúlóidh mé; negative Ní chúlóidh mé; question An gcúlóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cúlaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chúlóinn (I would back); negative Ní chúlóinn; question An gcúlóinn?.
Does cúlaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cúlaigh can mean to back, to retreat, to recede or to regress, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'reverse the car' in Irish?
Use 'cúlaigh an carr', for example 'Chúlaigh mé an carr isteach sa spás.' The verbal noun gives 'ag cúlú an chairr'.
Is 'cúlaigh' related to 'cúl'?
Yes, it comes from 'cúl' (back), so 'cúlaigh' literally means to go or put back, as in 'ar gcúl' (backwards).
