HeyRuaHow to say “to catch” in Irish
- Irish:
- beir
- English:
- to catch, be born, lay, carry off
- Word type:
- verb, irregular
- Verbal noun:
- breith (ag breith, catching)
- Verbal adjective:
- beirthe
- Pronunciation:
- “ber” /bʲɛɾʲ/
What does “beir” mean?
“Beir” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to catch
- With 'ar', to take hold of or catch someone or something.Also: grab, seize, take hold of, grasp.
3 other meanings: be born or lay or carry off
- 2to be born
- In the autonomous form 'rugadh', to be born; also to give birth to a child.Also: give birth, bear.
- 3to lay
- Of a bird, to lay an egg.Also: lay eggs.
- 4to carry off
- To take or bring something away, or to win a prize or victory.Also: bring, take, win.
“Beir” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Irregular verb. Beir is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Rug méI caught | Níor rug méI did not catch | Ar rug mé?Did I catch? |
| tú (you) | Rug túYou caught | Níor rug túYou did not catch | Ar rug tú?Did you catch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Rug sé / síHe caught | Níor rug sé / síHe did not catch | Ar rug sé / sí?Did he catch? |
| sinn (we) | RugamarWe caught | Níor rugamarWe did not catch | Ar rugamar?Did we catch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Rug sibhYou caught | Níor rug sibhYou did not catch | Ar rug sibh?Did you catch? |
| siad (they) | Rug siadThey caught | Níor rug siadThey did not catch | Ar rug siad?Did they catch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Rugadh | Níor rugadh | Ar rugadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BeirimI catch | Ní bheirimI do not catch | An mbeirim?Do I catch? |
| tú (you) | Beireann túYou catch | Ní bheireann túYou do not catch | An mbeireann tú?Do you catch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Beireann sé / síHe catches | Ní bheireann sé / síHe does not catch | An mbeireann sé / sí?Does he catch? |
| sinn (we) | BeirimidWe catch | Ní bheirimidWe do not catch | An mbeirimid?Do we catch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Beireann sibhYou catch | Ní bheireann sibhYou do not catch | An mbeireann sibh?Do you catch? |
| siad (they) | Beireann siadThey catch | Ní bheireann siadThey do not catch | An mbeireann siad?Do they catch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Beirtear | Ní bheirtear | An mbeirtear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Béarfaidh méI will catch | Ní bhéarfaidh méI will not catch | An mbéarfaidh mé?Will I catch? |
| tú (you) | Béarfaidh túYou will catch | Ní bhéarfaidh túYou will not catch | An mbéarfaidh tú?Will you catch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Béarfaidh sé / síHe will catch | Ní bhéarfaidh sé / síHe will not catch | An mbéarfaidh sé / sí?Will he catch? |
| sinn (we) | BéarfaimidWe will catch | Ní bhéarfaimidWe will not catch | An mbéarfaimid?Will we catch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Béarfaidh sibhYou will catch | Ní bhéarfaidh sibhYou will not catch | An mbéarfaidh sibh?Will you catch? |
| siad (they) | Béarfaidh siadThey will catch | Ní bhéarfaidh siadThey will not catch | An mbéarfaidh siad?Will they catch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Béarfar | Ní bhéarfar | An mbéarfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BhéarfainnI would catch | Ní bhéarfainnI would not catch | An mbéarfainn?Would I catch? |
| tú (you) | BhéarfáYou would catch | Ní bhéarfáYou would not catch | An mbéarfá?Would you catch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhéarfadh sé / síHe would catch | Ní bhéarfadh sé / síHe would not catch | An mbéarfadh sé / sí?Would he catch? |
| sinn (we) | BhéarfaimisWe would catch | Ní bhéarfaimisWe would not catch | An mbéarfaimis?Would we catch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhéarfadh sibhYou would catch | Ní bhéarfadh sibhYou would not catch | An mbéarfadh sibh?Would you catch? |
| siad (they) | BhéarfaidísThey would catch | Ní bhéarfaidísThey would not catch | An mbéarfaidís?Would they catch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bhéarfaí | Ní bhéarfaí | An mbéarfaí? |
“Beir” 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 catch in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to catch?
The Irish for to catch is beir (pronounced “ber”). It is an irregular verb; the verbal noun is breith.
What is the verbal noun of beir?
The verbal noun of beir is breith, used after ag for the continuous: ag breith (catching). The verbal adjective is beirthe.
How do you say beir in the past and the future?
Past: Rug mé; negative Níor rug mé; question Ar rug mé?. Future: Béarfaidh mé; negative Ní bhéarfaidh mé; question An mbéarfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of beir?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Bhéarfainn (I would catch); negative Ní bhéarfainn; question An mbéarfainn?.
Is beir an irregular verb?
Beir is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern. The tables above give every form.
Does beir have more than one meaning?
Yes. Beir can mean to catch, to be born, to lay or to carry off, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'I was born' with beir?
Use the autonomous past: 'Rugadh mé i gCorcaigh' means 'I was born in Cork'. Note that 'rugadh orm' means 'I was caught'.
Which preposition does beir take for 'catch'?
It takes 'ar': 'Rug sí ar an liathróid' means 'She caught the ball'.
