HeyRuaHow to say “to come” in Irish
- Irish:
- tar
- English:
- to come, come back, agree, survive
- Word type:
- verb, irregular
- Verbal noun:
- teacht (ag teacht, coming)
- Verbal adjective:
- tagtha
- Pronunciation:
- “tar” /t̪ˠaɾˠ/
What does “tar” mean?
“Tar” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to come
- To move towards the speaker or arrive at a place.Also: arrive, come along, approach.
3 other meanings: come back or agree or survive
- 2to come back
- With 'ar ais', to return to a place.Also: return.
- 3to agree
- With 'le', to agree with someone or something, or to suit them.Also: agree with, suit, get on with.
- 4to survive
- To come through an illness or danger alive.Also: pull through, recover.
“Tar” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Irregular verb. Tar 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) | Tháinig méI came | Níor tháinig méI did not come | Ar tháinig mé?Did I come? |
| tú (you) | Tháinig túYou came | Níor tháinig túYou did not come | Ar tháinig tú?Did you come? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tháinig sé / síHe came | Níor tháinig sé / síHe did not come | Ar tháinig sé / sí?Did he come? |
| sinn (we) | ThángamarWe came | Níor thángamarWe did not come | Ar thángamar?Did we come? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tháinig sibhYou came | Níor tháinig sibhYou did not come | Ar tháinig sibh?Did you come? |
| siad (they) | Tháinig siadThey came | Níor tháinig siadThey did not come | Ar tháinig siad?Did they come? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Thángthas | Níor thángthas | Ar thángthas? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | TagaimI come | Ní thagaimI do not come | An dtagaim?Do I come? |
| tú (you) | Tagann túYou come | Ní thagann túYou do not come | An dtagann tú?Do you come? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tagann sé / síHe comes | Ní thagann sé / síHe does not come | An dtagann sé / sí?Does he come? |
| sinn (we) | TagaimidWe come | Ní thagaimidWe do not come | An dtagaimid?Do we come? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tagann sibhYou come | Ní thagann sibhYou do not come | An dtagann sibh?Do you come? |
| siad (they) | Tagann siadThey come | Ní thagann siadThey do not come | An dtagann siad?Do they come? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tagtar | Ní thagtar | An dtagtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Tiocfaidh méI will come | Ní thiocfaidh méI will not come | An dtiocfaidh mé?Will I come? |
| tú (you) | Tiocfaidh túYou will come | Ní thiocfaidh túYou will not come | An dtiocfaidh tú?Will you come? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tiocfaidh sé / síHe will come | Ní thiocfaidh sé / síHe will not come | An dtiocfaidh sé / sí?Will he come? |
| sinn (we) | TiocfaimidWe will come | Ní thiocfaimidWe will not come | An dtiocfaimid?Will we come? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tiocfaidh sibhYou will come | Ní thiocfaidh sibhYou will not come | An dtiocfaidh sibh?Will you come? |
| siad (they) | Tiocfaidh siadThey will come | Ní thiocfaidh siadThey will not come | An dtiocfaidh siad?Will they come? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tiocfar | Ní thiocfar | An dtiocfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ThiocfainnI would come | Ní thiocfainnI would not come | An dtiocfainn?Would I come? |
| tú (you) | ThiocfáYou would come | Ní thiocfáYou would not come | An dtiocfá?Would you come? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thiocfadh sé / síHe would come | Ní thiocfadh sé / síHe would not come | An dtiocfadh sé / sí?Would he come? |
| sinn (we) | ThiocfaimisWe would come | Ní thiocfaimisWe would not come | An dtiocfaimis?Would we come? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thiocfadh sibhYou would come | Ní thiocfadh sibhYou would not come | An dtiocfadh sibh?Would you come? |
| siad (they) | ThiocfaidísThey would come | Ní thiocfaidísThey would not come | An dtiocfaidís?Would they come? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Thiocfaí | Ní thiocfaí | An dtiocfaí? |
“Tar” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with tar: Go dtaga biseach ort go luath (get well soon), Tar anseo (come here), Tar anseo (come here), Tar isteach (come in), Tar isteach (come in)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “tar”
To come in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to come?
The Irish for to come is tar (pronounced “tar”). It is an irregular verb; the verbal noun is teacht.
What is the verbal noun of tar?
The verbal noun of tar is teacht, used after ag for the continuous: ag teacht (coming). The verbal adjective is tagtha.
How do you say tar in the past and the future?
Past: Tháinig mé; negative Níor tháinig mé; question Ar tháinig mé?. Future: Tiocfaidh mé; negative Ní thiocfaidh mé; question An dtiocfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of tar?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Thiocfainn (I would come); negative Ní thiocfainn; question An dtiocfainn?.
Is tar an irregular verb?
Tar 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 tar have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tar can mean to come, to come back, to agree or to survive, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'tar' and 'téigh'?
'Tar' means to come towards the speaker, while 'téigh' means to go away from the speaker: 'Tar anseo!' (Come here!) but 'Téigh abhaile!' (Go home!).
How do I say 'I agree with you' using 'tar'?
Use 'tar le': 'Tagaim leat' means 'I agree with you'.
