HeyRuaHow to say “to choke” in Irish
- Irish:
- tacht
- English:
- to choke, block
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- tachtadh (ag tachtadh, choking)
- Verbal adjective:
- tachta
- Pronunciation:
- “tokht” /t̪ˠaxt̪ˠ/
What does “tacht” mean?
“Tacht” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to choke
- To stop someone breathing by squeezing or blocking the throat, or to be unable to breathe because something blocks the throat.Also: strangle, throttle, suffocate.
1 other meaning: block
- 2to block
- To clog or obstruct something such as a pipe, drain or channel so that nothing passes through.Also: clog, choke up, obstruct.
“Tacht” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Thacht méI choked | Níor thacht méI did not choke | Ar thacht mé?Did I choke? |
| tú (you) | Thacht túYou choked | Níor thacht túYou did not choke | Ar thacht tú?Did you choke? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thacht sé / síHe choked | Níor thacht sé / síHe did not choke | Ar thacht sé / sí?Did he choke? |
| sinn (we) | ThachtamarWe choked | Níor thachtamarWe did not choke | Ar thachtamar?Did we choke? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thacht sibhYou choked | Níor thacht sibhYou did not choke | Ar thacht sibh?Did you choke? |
| siad (they) | Thacht siadThey choked | Níor thacht siadThey did not choke | Ar thacht siad?Did they choke? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tachtadh | Níor tachtadh | Ar tachtadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | TachtaimI choke | Ní thachtaimI do not choke | An dtachtaim?Do I choke? |
| tú (you) | Tachtann túYou choke | Ní thachtann túYou do not choke | An dtachtann tú?Do you choke? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tachtann sé / síHe chokes | Ní thachtann sé / síHe does not choke | An dtachtann sé / sí?Does he choke? |
| sinn (we) | TachtaimidWe choke | Ní thachtaimidWe do not choke | An dtachtaimid?Do we choke? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tachtann sibhYou choke | Ní thachtann sibhYou do not choke | An dtachtann sibh?Do you choke? |
| siad (they) | Tachtann siadThey choke | Ní thachtann siadThey do not choke | An dtachtann siad?Do they choke? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tachtar | Ní thachtar | An dtachtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Tachtfaidh méI will choke | Ní thachtfaidh méI will not choke | An dtachtfaidh mé?Will I choke? |
| tú (you) | Tachtfaidh túYou will choke | Ní thachtfaidh túYou will not choke | An dtachtfaidh tú?Will you choke? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tachtfaidh sé / síHe will choke | Ní thachtfaidh sé / síHe will not choke | An dtachtfaidh sé / sí?Will he choke? |
| sinn (we) | TachtfaimidWe will choke | Ní thachtfaimidWe will not choke | An dtachtfaimid?Will we choke? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tachtfaidh sibhYou will choke | Ní thachtfaidh sibhYou will not choke | An dtachtfaidh sibh?Will you choke? |
| siad (they) | Tachtfaidh siadThey will choke | Ní thachtfaidh siadThey will not choke | An dtachtfaidh siad?Will they choke? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tachtfar | Ní thachtfar | An dtachtfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ThachtfainnI would choke | Ní thachtfainnI would not choke | An dtachtfainn?Would I choke? |
| tú (you) | ThachtfáYou would choke | Ní thachtfáYou would not choke | An dtachtfá?Would you choke? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thachtfadh sé / síHe would choke | Ní thachtfadh sé / síHe would not choke | An dtachtfadh sé / sí?Would he choke? |
| sinn (we) | ThachtfaimisWe would choke | Ní thachtfaimisWe would not choke | An dtachtfaimis?Would we choke? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thachtfadh sibhYou would choke | Ní thachtfadh sibhYou would not choke | An dtachtfadh sibh?Would you choke? |
| siad (they) | ThachtfaidísThey would choke | Ní thachtfaidísThey would not choke | An dtachtfaidís?Would they choke? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Thachtfaí | Ní thachtfaí | An dtachtfaí? |
“Tacht” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Thacht an cnámh éisc é ag an dinnéar.
The fish bone choked him at dinner.
Tachtann an fiaile na bláthanna sa ghairdín.
The weeds choke the flowers in the garden.
Tachtfaidh an deatach thú má fhanann tú istigh.
The smoke will choke you if you stay inside.
Thachtfadh an carbhat sin duine ar bith.
That tie would choke anyone.
Níor thacht an cnámh an madra.
The bone did not choke the dog.
Ar thacht na duilleoga an draein arís?
Did the leaves choke the drain again?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To choke in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to choke?
The Irish for to choke is tacht (pronounced “tokht”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is tachtadh.
What is the verbal noun of tacht?
The verbal noun of tacht is tachtadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag tachtadh (choking). The verbal adjective is tachta.
How do you say tacht in the past and the future?
Past: Thacht mé; negative Níor thacht mé; question Ar thacht mé?. Future: Tachtfaidh mé; negative Ní thachtfaidh mé; question An dtachtfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of tacht?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Thachtfainn (I would choke); negative Ní thachtfainn; question An dtachtfainn?.
Does tacht have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tacht can mean to choke or to block, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'tacht' and 'plúch'?
'Tacht' is to choke or strangle, often by the throat, while 'plúch' is to smother or suffocate, as with smoke or a pillow.
