HeyRuaHow to say “to decay” in Irish
- Irish:
- dreoigh
- English:
- to decay, wither
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- dreo (ag dreo, decaying)
- Verbal adjective:
- dreoite
- Pronunciation:
- “dryoh” /dʲɾʲoː/
What does “dreoigh” mean?
“Dreoigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to decay
- To rot or decompose slowly, as wood, leaves or food do.Also: rot, decompose, putrefy.
1 other meaning: wither
- 2to wither
- To dry up, fade or waste away, as a plant or a person may.Also: fade, waste away, shrivel.
Other Irish verbs for to decay: lobh (rot)
“Dreoigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dhreoigh méI decayed | Níor dhreoigh méI did not decay | Ar dhreoigh mé?Did I decay? |
| tú (you) | Dhreoigh túYou decayed | Níor dhreoigh túYou did not decay | Ar dhreoigh tú?Did you decay? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dhreoigh sé / síHe decayed | Níor dhreoigh sé / síHe did not decay | Ar dhreoigh sé / sí?Did he decay? |
| sinn (we) | DhreomarWe decayed | Níor dhreomarWe did not decay | Ar dhreomar?Did we decay? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dhreoigh sibhYou decayed | Níor dhreoigh sibhYou did not decay | Ar dhreoigh sibh?Did you decay? |
| siad (they) | Dhreoigh siadThey decayed | Níor dhreoigh siadThey did not decay | Ar dhreoigh siad?Did they decay? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dreodh | Níor dreodh | Ar dreodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DreoimI decay | Ní dhreoimI do not decay | An ndreoim?Do I decay? |
| tú (you) | Dreonn túYou decay | Ní dhreonn túYou do not decay | An ndreonn tú?Do you decay? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dreonn sé / síHe decays | Ní dhreonn sé / síHe does not decay | An ndreonn sé / sí?Does he decay? |
| sinn (we) | DreoimidWe decay | Ní dhreoimidWe do not decay | An ndreoimid?Do we decay? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dreonn sibhYou decay | Ní dhreonn sibhYou do not decay | An ndreonn sibh?Do you decay? |
| siad (they) | Dreonn siadThey decay | Ní dhreonn siadThey do not decay | An ndreonn siad?Do they decay? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dreoitear | Ní dhreoitear | An ndreoitear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dreofaidh méI will decay | Ní dhreofaidh méI will not decay | An ndreofaidh mé?Will I decay? |
| tú (you) | Dreofaidh túYou will decay | Ní dhreofaidh túYou will not decay | An ndreofaidh tú?Will you decay? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dreofaidh sé / síHe will decay | Ní dhreofaidh sé / síHe will not decay | An ndreofaidh sé / sí?Will he decay? |
| sinn (we) | DreofaimidWe will decay | Ní dhreofaimidWe will not decay | An ndreofaimid?Will we decay? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dreofaidh sibhYou will decay | Ní dhreofaidh sibhYou will not decay | An ndreofaidh sibh?Will you decay? |
| siad (they) | Dreofaidh siadThey will decay | Ní dhreofaidh siadThey will not decay | An ndreofaidh siad?Will they decay? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dreofar | Ní dhreofar | An ndreofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DhreofainnI would decay | Ní dhreofainnI would not decay | An ndreofainn?Would I decay? |
| tú (you) | DhreofáYou would decay | Ní dhreofáYou would not decay | An ndreofá?Would you decay? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dhreofadh sé / síHe would decay | Ní dhreofadh sé / síHe would not decay | An ndreofadh sé / sí?Would he decay? |
| sinn (we) | DhreofaimisWe would decay | Ní dhreofaimisWe would not decay | An ndreofaimis?Would we decay? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dhreofadh sibhYou would decay | Ní dhreofadh sibhYou would not decay | An ndreofadh sibh?Would you decay? |
| siad (they) | DhreofaidísThey would decay | Ní dhreofaidísThey would not decay | An ndreofaidís?Would they decay? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dhreofaí | Ní dhreofaí | An ndreofaí? |
“Dreoigh” 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 decay in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to decay?
The Irish for to decay is dreoigh (pronounced “dryoh”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is dreo.
What is the verbal noun of dreoigh?
The verbal noun of dreoigh is dreo, used after ag for the continuous: ag dreo (decaying). The verbal adjective is dreoite.
How do you say dreoigh in the past and the future?
Past: Dhreoigh mé; negative Níor dhreoigh mé; question Ar dhreoigh mé?. Future: Dreofaidh mé; negative Ní dhreofaidh mé; question An ndreofaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of dreoigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Dhreofainn (I would decay); negative Ní dhreofainn; question An ndreofainn?.
Does dreoigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Dreoigh can mean to decay or to wither, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'dreoigh' and 'lobh'?
Both mean to rot, but 'lobh' is the more common word for putrefying, while 'dreoigh' suggests slow decay or withering, as in 'adhmad dreoite' (rotten wood).
