HeyRuaHow to say “to brighten” in Irish
- Irish:
- geal
- English:
- to brighten, whiten, gladden
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- gealadh (ag gealadh, brightening)
- Verbal adjective:
- gealta
- Pronunciation:
- “gyal” /ɟal̪ˠ/
What does “geal” mean?
“Geal” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to brighten
- To make or become bright, light or clear, as the sky or the day does.Also: lighten, clear, dawn, grow bright.
2 other meanings: whiten or gladden
- 2to whiten
- To make or become white or whiter, for example by bleaching.Also: bleach, blanch.
- 3to gladden
- To make someone happy or cheerful, or to cheer up.Also: cheer, cheer up, make happy.
“Geal” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Gheal méI brightened | Níor gheal méI did not brighten | Ar gheal mé?Did I brighten? |
| tú (you) | Gheal túYou brightened | Níor gheal túYou did not brighten | Ar gheal tú?Did you brighten? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Gheal sé / síHe brightened | Níor gheal sé / síHe did not brighten | Ar gheal sé / sí?Did he brighten? |
| sinn (we) | GhealamarWe brightened | Níor ghealamarWe did not brighten | Ar ghealamar?Did we brighten? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Gheal sibhYou brightened | Níor gheal sibhYou did not brighten | Ar gheal sibh?Did you brighten? |
| siad (they) | Gheal siadThey brightened | Níor gheal siadThey did not brighten | Ar gheal siad?Did they brighten? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Gealadh | Níor gealadh | Ar gealadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | GealaimI brighten | Ní ghealaimI do not brighten | An ngealaim?Do I brighten? |
| tú (you) | Gealann túYou brighten | Ní ghealann túYou do not brighten | An ngealann tú?Do you brighten? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Gealann sé / síHe brightens | Ní ghealann sé / síHe does not brighten | An ngealann sé / sí?Does he brighten? |
| sinn (we) | GealaimidWe brighten | Ní ghealaimidWe do not brighten | An ngealaimid?Do we brighten? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Gealann sibhYou brighten | Ní ghealann sibhYou do not brighten | An ngealann sibh?Do you brighten? |
| siad (they) | Gealann siadThey brighten | Ní ghealann siadThey do not brighten | An ngealann siad?Do they brighten? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Gealtar | Ní ghealtar | An ngealtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Gealfaidh méI will brighten | Ní ghealfaidh méI will not brighten | An ngealfaidh mé?Will I brighten? |
| tú (you) | Gealfaidh túYou will brighten | Ní ghealfaidh túYou will not brighten | An ngealfaidh tú?Will you brighten? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Gealfaidh sé / síHe will brighten | Ní ghealfaidh sé / síHe will not brighten | An ngealfaidh sé / sí?Will he brighten? |
| sinn (we) | GealfaimidWe will brighten | Ní ghealfaimidWe will not brighten | An ngealfaimid?Will we brighten? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Gealfaidh sibhYou will brighten | Ní ghealfaidh sibhYou will not brighten | An ngealfaidh sibh?Will you brighten? |
| siad (they) | Gealfaidh siadThey will brighten | Ní ghealfaidh siadThey will not brighten | An ngealfaidh siad?Will they brighten? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Gealfar | Ní ghealfar | An ngealfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | GhealfainnI would brighten | Ní ghealfainnI would not brighten | An ngealfainn?Would I brighten? |
| tú (you) | GhealfáYou would brighten | Ní ghealfáYou would not brighten | An ngealfá?Would you brighten? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ghealfadh sé / síHe would brighten | Ní ghealfadh sé / síHe would not brighten | An ngealfadh sé / sí?Would he brighten? |
| sinn (we) | GhealfaimisWe would brighten | Ní ghealfaimisWe would not brighten | An ngealfaimis?Would we brighten? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ghealfadh sibhYou would brighten | Ní ghealfadh sibhYou would not brighten | An ngealfadh sibh?Would you brighten? |
| siad (they) | GhealfaidísThey would brighten | Ní ghealfaidísThey would not brighten | An ngealfaidís?Would they brighten? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ghealfaí | Ní ghealfaí | An ngealfaí? |
“Geal” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Gheal an spéir go luath ar maidin.
The sky brightened early in the morning.
Gealann an lá níos luaithe san earrach.
The day brightens earlier in spring.
Gealfaidh sé tráthnóna, dar leis an réamhaisnéis.
It will brighten up this evening, according to the forecast.
Ghealfadh an phéint sin an seomra go mór.
That paint would brighten the room a lot.
Níor gheal an aimsir an lá ar fad.
The weather didn't brighten all day.
Ar gheal an lá fós?
Has the day dawned yet?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To brighten in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to brighten?
The Irish for to brighten is geal (pronounced “gyal”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is gealadh.
What is the verbal noun of geal?
The verbal noun of geal is gealadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag gealadh (brightening). The verbal adjective is gealta.
How do you say geal in the past and the future?
Past: Gheal mé; negative Níor gheal mé; question Ar gheal mé?. Future: Gealfaidh mé; negative Ní ghealfaidh mé; question An ngealfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of geal?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Ghealfainn (I would brighten); negative Ní ghealfainn; question An ngealfainn?.
Does geal have more than one meaning?
Yes. Geal can mean to brighten, to whiten or to gladden, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What does 'ag gealadh an lae' mean?
It means 'at daybreak', literally 'at the brightening of the day', from 'geal' plus the verbal noun 'gealadh'.
Is 'geal' only a verb?
No, 'geal' is also a very common adjective meaning 'bright' or 'white', as in 'lá geal' (a bright day).
