HeyRuaHow to say “to close” in Irish
- Irish:
- dún
- English:
- to close, close down, fasten, conclude
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- dúnadh (ag dúnadh, closing)
- Verbal adjective:
- dúnta
- Pronunciation:
- “doon” /d̪ˠuːnˠ/
What does “dún” mean?
“Dún” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to close
- To shut something such as a door, window, book or your eyes.Also: shut, shut up.
3 other meanings: close down or fasten or conclude
- 2to close down
- To stop a shop, business or service from operating, for a time or for good.Also: shut down, close.
- 3to fasten
- To fasten or secure something, such as buttons or a coat.Also: button, secure, do up.
- 4to conclude
- To bring something such as a meeting, debate or deal to an end.Also: end, close, wind up.
Other Irish verbs for to close: druid (close)
“Dún” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dhún méI closed | Níor dhún méI did not close | Ar dhún mé?Did I close? |
| tú (you) | Dhún túYou closed | Níor dhún túYou did not close | Ar dhún tú?Did you close? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dhún sé / síHe closed | Níor dhún sé / síHe did not close | Ar dhún sé / sí?Did he close? |
| sinn (we) | DhúnamarWe closed | Níor dhúnamarWe did not close | Ar dhúnamar?Did we close? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dhún sibhYou closed | Níor dhún sibhYou did not close | Ar dhún sibh?Did you close? |
| siad (they) | Dhún siadThey closed | Níor dhún siadThey did not close | Ar dhún siad?Did they close? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dúnadh | Níor dúnadh | Ar dúnadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DúnaimI close | Ní dhúnaimI do not close | An ndúnaim?Do I close? |
| tú (you) | Dúnann túYou close | Ní dhúnann túYou do not close | An ndúnann tú?Do you close? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dúnann sé / síHe closes | Ní dhúnann sé / síHe does not close | An ndúnann sé / sí?Does he close? |
| sinn (we) | DúnaimidWe close | Ní dhúnaimidWe do not close | An ndúnaimid?Do we close? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dúnann sibhYou close | Ní dhúnann sibhYou do not close | An ndúnann sibh?Do you close? |
| siad (they) | Dúnann siadThey close | Ní dhúnann siadThey do not close | An ndúnann siad?Do they close? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dúntar | Ní dhúntar | An ndúntar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dúnfaidh méI will close | Ní dhúnfaidh méI will not close | An ndúnfaidh mé?Will I close? |
| tú (you) | Dúnfaidh túYou will close | Ní dhúnfaidh túYou will not close | An ndúnfaidh tú?Will you close? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dúnfaidh sé / síHe will close | Ní dhúnfaidh sé / síHe will not close | An ndúnfaidh sé / sí?Will he close? |
| sinn (we) | DúnfaimidWe will close | Ní dhúnfaimidWe will not close | An ndúnfaimid?Will we close? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dúnfaidh sibhYou will close | Ní dhúnfaidh sibhYou will not close | An ndúnfaidh sibh?Will you close? |
| siad (they) | Dúnfaidh siadThey will close | Ní dhúnfaidh siadThey will not close | An ndúnfaidh siad?Will they close? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dúnfar | Ní dhúnfar | An ndúnfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DhúnfainnI would close | Ní dhúnfainnI would not close | An ndúnfainn?Would I close? |
| tú (you) | DhúnfáYou would close | Ní dhúnfáYou would not close | An ndúnfá?Would you close? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dhúnfadh sé / síHe would close | Ní dhúnfadh sé / síHe would not close | An ndúnfadh sé / sí?Would he close? |
| sinn (we) | DhúnfaimisWe would close | Ní dhúnfaimisWe would not close | An ndúnfaimis?Would we close? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dhúnfadh sibhYou would close | Ní dhúnfadh sibhYou would not close | An ndúnfadh sibh?Would you close? |
| siad (they) | DhúnfaidísThey would close | Ní dhúnfaidísThey would not close | An ndúnfaidís?Would they close? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dhúnfaí | Ní dhúnfaí | An ndúnfaí? |
“Dún” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with dún: Cén t-am a ndúnann sé? (what time does it close)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “dún”
To close in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to close?
The Irish for to close is dún (pronounced “doon”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is dúnadh.
What is the verbal noun of dún?
The verbal noun of dún is dúnadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag dúnadh (closing). The verbal adjective is dúnta.
How do you say dún in the past and the future?
Past: Dhún mé; negative Níor dhún mé; question Ar dhún mé?. Future: Dúnfaidh mé; negative Ní dhúnfaidh mé; question An ndúnfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of dún?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Dhúnfainn (I would close); negative Ní dhúnfainn; question An ndúnfainn?.
Does dún have more than one meaning?
Yes. Dún can mean to close, to close down, to fasten or to conclude, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of 'dún'?
The opposite is 'oscail', to open: 'Oscail an doras' means open the door, 'Dún an doras' means close it.
How do I say something is closed?
Use the verbal adjective 'dúnta': 'Tá an siopa dúnta' means the shop is closed.
