HeyRuaHow to say “to buy” in Irish
- Irish:
- ceannaigh
- English:
- to buy, pay for
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- ceannach (ag ceannach, buying)
- Verbal adjective:
- ceannaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KYAN-ee” /ˈcan̪ˠə/
What does “ceannaigh” mean?
“Ceannaigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to buy
- To get something by paying money for it.Also: purchase, pay for.
1 other meaning: pay for
- 2to pay for
- To pay a price or suffer for something, often figuratively, as in paying dearly for a mistake.Also: pay dearly for, suffer for.
“Ceannaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cheannaigh méI bought | Níor cheannaigh méI did not buy | Ar cheannaigh mé?Did I buy? |
| tú (you) | Cheannaigh túYou bought | Níor cheannaigh túYou did not buy | Ar cheannaigh tú?Did you buy? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cheannaigh sé / síHe bought | Níor cheannaigh sé / síHe did not buy | Ar cheannaigh sé / sí?Did he buy? |
| sinn (we) | CheannaíomarWe bought | Níor cheannaíomarWe did not buy | Ar cheannaíomar?Did we buy? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cheannaigh sibhYou bought | Níor cheannaigh sibhYou did not buy | Ar cheannaigh sibh?Did you buy? |
| siad (they) | Cheannaigh siadThey bought | Níor cheannaigh siadThey did not buy | Ar cheannaigh siad?Did they buy? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ceannaíodh | Níor ceannaíodh | Ar ceannaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CeannaímI buy | Ní cheannaímI do not buy | An gceannaím?Do I buy? |
| tú (you) | Ceannaíonn túYou buy | Ní cheannaíonn túYou do not buy | An gceannaíonn tú?Do you buy? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ceannaíonn sé / síHe buys | Ní cheannaíonn sé / síHe does not buy | An gceannaíonn sé / sí?Does he buy? |
| sinn (we) | CeannaímidWe buy | Ní cheannaímidWe do not buy | An gceannaímid?Do we buy? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ceannaíonn sibhYou buy | Ní cheannaíonn sibhYou do not buy | An gceannaíonn sibh?Do you buy? |
| siad (they) | Ceannaíonn siadThey buy | Ní cheannaíonn siadThey do not buy | An gceannaíonn siad?Do they buy? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ceannaítear | Ní cheannaítear | An gceannaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Ceannóidh méI will buy | Ní cheannóidh méI will not buy | An gceannóidh mé?Will I buy? |
| tú (you) | Ceannóidh túYou will buy | Ní cheannóidh túYou will not buy | An gceannóidh tú?Will you buy? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ceannóidh sé / síHe will buy | Ní cheannóidh sé / síHe will not buy | An gceannóidh sé / sí?Will he buy? |
| sinn (we) | CeannóimidWe will buy | Ní cheannóimidWe will not buy | An gceannóimid?Will we buy? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ceannóidh sibhYou will buy | Ní cheannóidh sibhYou will not buy | An gceannóidh sibh?Will you buy? |
| siad (they) | Ceannóidh siadThey will buy | Ní cheannóidh siadThey will not buy | An gceannóidh siad?Will they buy? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ceannófar | Ní cheannófar | An gceannófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CheannóinnI would buy | Ní cheannóinnI would not buy | An gceannóinn?Would I buy? |
| tú (you) | CheannófáYou would buy | Ní cheannófáYou would not buy | An gceannófá?Would you buy? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cheannódh sé / síHe would buy | Ní cheannódh sé / síHe would not buy | An gceannódh sé / sí?Would he buy? |
| sinn (we) | CheannóimisWe would buy | Ní cheannóimisWe would not buy | An gceannóimis?Would we buy? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cheannódh sibhYou would buy | Ní cheannódh sibhYou would not buy | An gceannódh sibh?Would you buy? |
| siad (they) | CheannóidísThey would buy | Ní cheannóidísThey would not buy | An gceannóidís?Would they buy? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cheannófaí | Ní cheannófaí | An gceannófaí? |
“Ceannaigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Cheannaigh sí bollóg aráin sa siopa ar maidin.
She bought a loaf of bread in the shop this morning.
Ceannaíonn m'athair nuachtán gach Domhnach.
My father buys a newspaper every Sunday.
Ceannóidh mé an t-iomlán.
I'll buy the lot.
Cheannóinn carr nua dá mbeadh an t-airgead agam.
I would buy a new car if I had the money.
Níor cheannaigh siad aon rud sa mhargadh.
They didn't buy anything at the market.
An gceannóidh mé buidéal bainne?
Shall I buy a bottle of milk?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To buy in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to buy?
The Irish for to buy is ceannaigh (pronounced “KYAN-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is ceannach.
What is the verbal noun of ceannaigh?
The verbal noun of ceannaigh is ceannach, used after ag for the continuous: ag ceannach (buying). The verbal adjective is ceannaithe.
How do you say ceannaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Cheannaigh mé; negative Níor cheannaigh mé; question Ar cheannaigh mé?. Future: Ceannóidh mé; negative Ní cheannóidh mé; question An gceannóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of ceannaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Cheannóinn (I would buy); negative Ní cheannóinn; question An gceannóinn?.
Does ceannaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Ceannaigh can mean to buy or to pay for, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of 'ceannaigh'?
The opposite is 'díol', to sell: 'Cheannaigh mé é agus dhíol sé é' means 'I bought it and he sold it'.
How do I say who I bought something from?
Use 'ó': 'Cheannaigh mé an carr ó Sheán' means 'I bought the car from Seán'.
