HeyRuaHow to say “to cry” in Irish
- Irish:
- caoin
- English:
- to cry, lament
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- caoineadh (ag caoineadh, crying)
- Verbal adjective:
- caointe
- Pronunciation:
- “keen” /kiːnʲ/
What does “caoin” mean?
“Caoin” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to cry
- To shed tears because of sadness, pain or strong feeling.Also: weep, sob, shed tears.
1 other meaning: lament
- 2to lament
- To mourn someone who has died, especially by keening over them in the traditional way.Also: keen, mourn, bewail.
Other Irish verbs for to cry: goil (weep)
“Caoin” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chaoin méI cried | Níor chaoin méI did not cry | Ar chaoin mé?Did I cry? |
| tú (you) | Chaoin túYou cried | Níor chaoin túYou did not cry | Ar chaoin tú?Did you cry? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chaoin sé / síHe cried | Níor chaoin sé / síHe did not cry | Ar chaoin sé / sí?Did he cry? |
| sinn (we) | ChaoineamarWe cried | Níor chaoineamarWe did not cry | Ar chaoineamar?Did we cry? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chaoin sibhYou cried | Níor chaoin sibhYou did not cry | Ar chaoin sibh?Did you cry? |
| siad (they) | Chaoin siadThey cried | Níor chaoin siadThey did not cry | Ar chaoin siad?Did they cry? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caoineadh | Níor caoineadh | Ar caoineadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CaoinimI cry | Ní chaoinimI do not cry | An gcaoinim?Do I cry? |
| tú (you) | Caoineann túYou cry | Ní chaoineann túYou do not cry | An gcaoineann tú?Do you cry? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Caoineann sé / síHe cries | Ní chaoineann sé / síHe does not cry | An gcaoineann sé / sí?Does he cry? |
| sinn (we) | CaoinimidWe cry | Ní chaoinimidWe do not cry | An gcaoinimid?Do we cry? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Caoineann sibhYou cry | Ní chaoineann sibhYou do not cry | An gcaoineann sibh?Do you cry? |
| siad (they) | Caoineann siadThey cry | Ní chaoineann siadThey do not cry | An gcaoineann siad?Do they cry? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caointear | Ní chaointear | An gcaointear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Caoinfidh méI will cry | Ní chaoinfidh méI will not cry | An gcaoinfidh mé?Will I cry? |
| tú (you) | Caoinfidh túYou will cry | Ní chaoinfidh túYou will not cry | An gcaoinfidh tú?Will you cry? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Caoinfidh sé / síHe will cry | Ní chaoinfidh sé / síHe will not cry | An gcaoinfidh sé / sí?Will he cry? |
| sinn (we) | CaoinfimidWe will cry | Ní chaoinfimidWe will not cry | An gcaoinfimid?Will we cry? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Caoinfidh sibhYou will cry | Ní chaoinfidh sibhYou will not cry | An gcaoinfidh sibh?Will you cry? |
| siad (they) | Caoinfidh siadThey will cry | Ní chaoinfidh siadThey will not cry | An gcaoinfidh siad?Will they cry? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caoinfear | Ní chaoinfear | An gcaoinfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChaoinfinnI would cry | Ní chaoinfinnI would not cry | An gcaoinfinn?Would I cry? |
| tú (you) | ChaoinfeáYou would cry | Ní chaoinfeáYou would not cry | An gcaoinfeá?Would you cry? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chaoinfeadh sé / síHe would cry | Ní chaoinfeadh sé / síHe would not cry | An gcaoinfeadh sé / sí?Would he cry? |
| sinn (we) | ChaoinfimisWe would cry | Ní chaoinfimisWe would not cry | An gcaoinfimis?Would we cry? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chaoinfeadh sibhYou would cry | Ní chaoinfeadh sibhYou would not cry | An gcaoinfeadh sibh?Would you cry? |
| siad (they) | ChaoinfidísThey would cry | Ní chaoinfidísThey would not cry | An gcaoinfidís?Would they cry? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chaoinfí | Ní chaoinfí | An gcaoinfí? |
“Caoin” 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 cry in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to cry?
The Irish for to cry is caoin (pronounced “keen”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is caoineadh.
What is the verbal noun of caoin?
The verbal noun of caoin is caoineadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag caoineadh (crying). The verbal adjective is caointe.
How do you say caoin in the past and the future?
Past: Chaoin mé; negative Níor chaoin mé; question Ar chaoin mé?. Future: Caoinfidh mé; negative Ní chaoinfidh mé; question An gcaoinfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of caoin?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chaoinfinn (I would cry); negative Ní chaoinfinn; question An gcaoinfinn?.
Does caoin have more than one meaning?
Yes. Caoin can mean to cry or to lament, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'caoin' and 'gol'?
Both mean to cry: 'caoin' (ag caoineadh) is the usual word in the standard and also means to lament the dead, while 'gol' (ag gol) is common in Connacht and Munster speech for weeping.
Is the English word 'keen' related to 'caoin'?
Yes, the English 'keen', meaning a lament for the dead, comes from the Irish 'caoineadh'.
