HeyRuaHow to say “to cut” in Irish
- Irish:
- gearr
- English:
- to cut, impose, shorten, castrate
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- gearradh (ag gearradh, cutting)
- Verbal adjective:
- gearrtha
- Pronunciation:
- “gyar” /ɟɑːɾˠ/
What does “gearr” mean?
“Gearr” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to cut
- To divide, trim or wound something with a knife, scissors or other sharp edge.Also: chop, slice, trim, clip.
3 other meanings: impose or shorten or castrate
- 2to impose
- To impose a fine, tax, penalty or sentence on someone (with 'ar').Also: levy, fine, sentence.
- 3to shorten
- To make something shorter, such as a journey, a text or the time.Also: abridge, cut short.
- 4to castrate
- To remove the testicles of an animal.Also: geld.
“Gearr” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Ghearr méI cut | Níor ghearr méI did not cut | Ar ghearr mé?Did I cut? |
| tú (you) | Ghearr túYou cut | Níor ghearr túYou did not cut | Ar ghearr tú?Did you cut? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ghearr sé / síHe cut | Níor ghearr sé / síHe did not cut | Ar ghearr sé / sí?Did he cut? |
| sinn (we) | GhearramarWe cut | Níor ghearramarWe did not cut | Ar ghearramar?Did we cut? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ghearr sibhYou cut | Níor ghearr sibhYou did not cut | Ar ghearr sibh?Did you cut? |
| siad (they) | Ghearr siadThey cut | Níor ghearr siadThey did not cut | Ar ghearr siad?Did they cut? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Gearradh | Níor gearradh | Ar gearradh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | GearraimI cut | Ní ghearraimI do not cut | An ngearraim?Do I cut? |
| tú (you) | Gearrann túYou cut | Ní ghearrann túYou do not cut | An ngearrann tú?Do you cut? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Gearrann sé / síHe cuts | Ní ghearrann sé / síHe does not cut | An ngearrann sé / sí?Does he cut? |
| sinn (we) | GearraimidWe cut | Ní ghearraimidWe do not cut | An ngearraimid?Do we cut? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Gearrann sibhYou cut | Ní ghearrann sibhYou do not cut | An ngearrann sibh?Do you cut? |
| siad (they) | Gearrann siadThey cut | Ní ghearrann siadThey do not cut | An ngearrann siad?Do they cut? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Gearrtar | Ní ghearrtar | An ngearrtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Gearrfaidh méI will cut | Ní ghearrfaidh méI will not cut | An ngearrfaidh mé?Will I cut? |
| tú (you) | Gearrfaidh túYou will cut | Ní ghearrfaidh túYou will not cut | An ngearrfaidh tú?Will you cut? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Gearrfaidh sé / síHe will cut | Ní ghearrfaidh sé / síHe will not cut | An ngearrfaidh sé / sí?Will he cut? |
| sinn (we) | GearrfaimidWe will cut | Ní ghearrfaimidWe will not cut | An ngearrfaimid?Will we cut? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Gearrfaidh sibhYou will cut | Ní ghearrfaidh sibhYou will not cut | An ngearrfaidh sibh?Will you cut? |
| siad (they) | Gearrfaidh siadThey will cut | Ní ghearrfaidh siadThey will not cut | An ngearrfaidh siad?Will they cut? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Gearrfar | Ní ghearrfar | An ngearrfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | GhearrfainnI would cut | Ní ghearrfainnI would not cut | An ngearrfainn?Would I cut? |
| tú (you) | GhearrfáYou would cut | Ní ghearrfáYou would not cut | An ngearrfá?Would you cut? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ghearrfadh sé / síHe would cut | Ní ghearrfadh sé / síHe would not cut | An ngearrfadh sé / sí?Would he cut? |
| sinn (we) | GhearrfaimisWe would cut | Ní ghearrfaimisWe would not cut | An ngearrfaimis?Would we cut? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ghearrfadh sibhYou would cut | Ní ghearrfadh sibhYou would not cut | An ngearrfadh sibh?Would you cut? |
| siad (they) | GhearrfaidísThey would cut | Ní ghearrfaidísThey would not cut | An ngearrfaidís?Would they cut? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ghearrfaí | Ní ghearrfaí | An ngearrfaí? |
“Gearr” 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 cut in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to cut?
The Irish for to cut is gearr (pronounced “gyar”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is gearradh.
What is the verbal noun of gearr?
The verbal noun of gearr is gearradh, used after ag for the continuous: ag gearradh (cutting). The verbal adjective is gearrtha.
How do you say gearr in the past and the future?
Past: Ghearr mé; negative Níor ghearr mé; question Ar ghearr mé?. Future: Gearrfaidh mé; negative Ní ghearrfaidh mé; question An ngearrfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of gearr?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Ghearrfainn (I would cut); negative Ní ghearrfainn; question An ngearrfainn?.
Does gearr have more than one meaning?
Yes. Gearr can mean to cut, to impose, to shorten or to castrate, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'gearr' and 'bearr'?
'Gearr' is the general word for cut, while 'bearr' means to shave, clip or trim closely, as in 'bhearr sé a fhéasóg' (he shaved his beard).
How do you say someone was fined or sentenced?
Use 'gearr' with 'ar': 'Gearradh fíneáil €100 orm' means I was fined €100, and 'Gearradh príosún air' means he was sentenced to prison.
