HeyRuaHow to say “to blacken” in Irish
- Irish:
- dubhaigh
- English:
- to blacken, sadden, blight
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- dúchan (ag dúchan, blackening)
- Verbal adjective:
- dubhaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “DOO-ee” /ˈd̪ˠuːiː/
What does “dubhaigh” mean?
“Dubhaigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to blacken
- To make something black or dark, or to become black or dark.Also: darken, turn black, go dark.
2 other meanings: sadden or blight
- 2to sadden
- To make someone gloomy or sad, to cast a shadow over them.Also: depress, oppress, make gloomy.
- 3to blight
- Of crops such as potatoes, to become blighted and turn black.Also: become blighted, wither.
“Dubhaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dhubhaigh méI blackened | Níor dhubhaigh méI did not blacken | Ar dhubhaigh mé?Did I blacken? |
| tú (you) | Dhubhaigh túYou blackened | Níor dhubhaigh túYou did not blacken | Ar dhubhaigh tú?Did you blacken? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dhubhaigh sé / síHe blackened | Níor dhubhaigh sé / síHe did not blacken | Ar dhubhaigh sé / sí?Did he blacken? |
| sinn (we) | DhubhaíomarWe blackened | Níor dhubhaíomarWe did not blacken | Ar dhubhaíomar?Did we blacken? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dhubhaigh sibhYou blackened | Níor dhubhaigh sibhYou did not blacken | Ar dhubhaigh sibh?Did you blacken? |
| siad (they) | Dhubhaigh siadThey blackened | Níor dhubhaigh siadThey did not blacken | Ar dhubhaigh siad?Did they blacken? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dubhaíodh | Níor dubhaíodh | Ar dubhaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DubhaímI blacken | Ní dhubhaímI do not blacken | An ndubhaím?Do I blacken? |
| tú (you) | Dubhaíonn túYou blacken | Ní dhubhaíonn túYou do not blacken | An ndubhaíonn tú?Do you blacken? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dubhaíonn sé / síHe blackens | Ní dhubhaíonn sé / síHe does not blacken | An ndubhaíonn sé / sí?Does he blacken? |
| sinn (we) | DubhaímidWe blacken | Ní dhubhaímidWe do not blacken | An ndubhaímid?Do we blacken? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dubhaíonn sibhYou blacken | Ní dhubhaíonn sibhYou do not blacken | An ndubhaíonn sibh?Do you blacken? |
| siad (they) | Dubhaíonn siadThey blacken | Ní dhubhaíonn siadThey do not blacken | An ndubhaíonn siad?Do they blacken? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dubhaítear | Ní dhubhaítear | An ndubhaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dubhóidh méI will blacken | Ní dhubhóidh méI will not blacken | An ndubhóidh mé?Will I blacken? |
| tú (you) | Dubhóidh túYou will blacken | Ní dhubhóidh túYou will not blacken | An ndubhóidh tú?Will you blacken? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dubhóidh sé / síHe will blacken | Ní dhubhóidh sé / síHe will not blacken | An ndubhóidh sé / sí?Will he blacken? |
| sinn (we) | DubhóimidWe will blacken | Ní dhubhóimidWe will not blacken | An ndubhóimid?Will we blacken? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dubhóidh sibhYou will blacken | Ní dhubhóidh sibhYou will not blacken | An ndubhóidh sibh?Will you blacken? |
| siad (they) | Dubhóidh siadThey will blacken | Ní dhubhóidh siadThey will not blacken | An ndubhóidh siad?Will they blacken? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dubhófar | Ní dhubhófar | An ndubhófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DhubhóinnI would blacken | Ní dhubhóinnI would not blacken | An ndubhóinn?Would I blacken? |
| tú (you) | DhubhófáYou would blacken | Ní dhubhófáYou would not blacken | An ndubhófá?Would you blacken? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dhubhódh sé / síHe would blacken | Ní dhubhódh sé / síHe would not blacken | An ndubhódh sé / sí?Would he blacken? |
| sinn (we) | DhubhóimisWe would blacken | Ní dhubhóimisWe would not blacken | An ndubhóimis?Would we blacken? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dhubhódh sibhYou would blacken | Ní dhubhódh sibhYou would not blacken | An ndubhódh sibh?Would you blacken? |
| siad (they) | DhubhóidísThey would blacken | Ní dhubhóidísThey would not blacken | An ndubhóidís?Would they blacken? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dhubhófaí | Ní dhubhófaí | An ndubhófaí? |
“Dubhaigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Dhubhaigh an toit na ballaí.
The smoke blackened the walls.
Dubhaíonn an spéir roimh an stoirm.
The sky darkens before the storm.
Dubhóidh an t-airgead má fhágann tú amuigh é.
The silver will blacken if you leave it out.
Dhubhódh an ghrian do chraiceann.
The sun would darken your skin.
Níor dhubhaigh na prátaí i mbliana.
The potatoes did not blight this year.
Ar dhubhaigh tú do bhróga?
Did you blacken your shoes?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To blacken in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to blacken?
The Irish for to blacken is dubhaigh (pronounced “DOO-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is dúchan.
What is the verbal noun of dubhaigh?
The verbal noun of dubhaigh is dúchan, used after ag for the continuous: ag dúchan (blackening). The verbal adjective is dubhaithe.
How do you say dubhaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Dhubhaigh mé; negative Níor dhubhaigh mé; question Ar dhubhaigh mé?. Future: Dubhóidh mé; negative Ní dhubhóidh mé; question An ndubhóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of dubhaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Dhubhóinn (I would blacken); negative Ní dhubhóinn; question An ndubhóinn?.
Does dubhaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Dubhaigh can mean to blacken, to sadden or to blight, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'dubhaigh' and 'dorchaigh'?
'Dubhaigh' means to blacken or turn black, while 'dorchaigh' means to darken or grow dark, as in 'Dhorchaigh an oíche'.
