HeyRuaHow to say “to defeat” in Irish
- Irish:
- cloígh
- English:
- to defeat, adhere, exhaust
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cloí (ag cloí, defeating)
- Verbal adjective:
- cloíte
- Pronunciation:
- “klee” /kliː/
What does “cloígh” mean?
“Cloígh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to defeat
- To beat, overcome or subdue someone or something.Also: overcome, subdue, conquer, vanquish.
2 other meanings: adhere or exhaust
- 2to adhere
- With 'le', to stick to or keep to a rule, plan, person or principle.Also: stick to, keep to, abide by, cling to.
- 3to exhaust
- To wear out or tire someone completely.Also: wear out, tire out.
“Cloígh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chloígh méI defeated | Níor chloígh méI did not defeat | Ar chloígh mé?Did I defeat? |
| tú (you) | Chloígh túYou defeated | Níor chloígh túYou did not defeat | Ar chloígh tú?Did you defeat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chloígh sé / síHe defeated | Níor chloígh sé / síHe did not defeat | Ar chloígh sé / sí?Did he defeat? |
| sinn (we) | ChloíomarWe defeated | Níor chloíomarWe did not defeat | Ar chloíomar?Did we defeat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chloígh sibhYou defeated | Níor chloígh sibhYou did not defeat | Ar chloígh sibh?Did you defeat? |
| siad (they) | Chloígh siadThey defeated | Níor chloígh siadThey did not defeat | Ar chloígh siad?Did they defeat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cloíodh | Níor cloíodh | Ar cloíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CloímI defeat | Ní chloímI do not defeat | An gcloím?Do I defeat? |
| tú (you) | Cloíonn túYou defeat | Ní chloíonn túYou do not defeat | An gcloíonn tú?Do you defeat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cloíonn sé / síHe defeats | Ní chloíonn sé / síHe does not defeat | An gcloíonn sé / sí?Does he defeat? |
| sinn (we) | CloímidWe defeat | Ní chloímidWe do not defeat | An gcloímid?Do we defeat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cloíonn sibhYou defeat | Ní chloíonn sibhYou do not defeat | An gcloíonn sibh?Do you defeat? |
| siad (they) | Cloíonn siadThey defeat | Ní chloíonn siadThey do not defeat | An gcloíonn siad?Do they defeat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cloítear | Ní chloítear | An gcloítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cloífidh méI will defeat | Ní chloífidh méI will not defeat | An gcloífidh mé?Will I defeat? |
| tú (you) | Cloífidh túYou will defeat | Ní chloífidh túYou will not defeat | An gcloífidh tú?Will you defeat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cloífidh sé / síHe will defeat | Ní chloífidh sé / síHe will not defeat | An gcloífidh sé / sí?Will he defeat? |
| sinn (we) | CloífimidWe will defeat | Ní chloífimidWe will not defeat | An gcloífimid?Will we defeat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cloífidh sibhYou will defeat | Ní chloífidh sibhYou will not defeat | An gcloífidh sibh?Will you defeat? |
| siad (they) | Cloífidh siadThey will defeat | Ní chloífidh siadThey will not defeat | An gcloífidh siad?Will they defeat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cloífear | Ní chloífear | An gcloífear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChloífinnI would defeat | Ní chloífinnI would not defeat | An gcloífinn?Would I defeat? |
| tú (you) | ChloífeáYou would defeat | Ní chloífeáYou would not defeat | An gcloífeá?Would you defeat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chloífeadh sé / síHe would defeat | Ní chloífeadh sé / síHe would not defeat | An gcloífeadh sé / sí?Would he defeat? |
| sinn (we) | ChloífimisWe would defeat | Ní chloífimisWe would not defeat | An gcloífimis?Would we defeat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chloífeadh sibhYou would defeat | Ní chloífeadh sibhYou would not defeat | An gcloífeadh sibh?Would you defeat? |
| siad (they) | ChloífidísThey would defeat | Ní chloífidísThey would not defeat | An gcloífidís?Would they defeat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chloífí | Ní chloífí | An gcloífí? |
“Cloígh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chloígh an fhoireann áitiúil na curaidh inné.
The local team defeated the champions yesterday.
Cloíonn sí leis na rialacha i gcónaí.
She always sticks to the rules.
Chloígh siad an namhaid sa chath.
They defeated the enemy in the battle.
Chloífeadh an obair sin duine ar bith.
That work would exhaust anyone.
Níor chloígh sé lena gheallúint.
He didn't keep to his promise.
Ar chloígh tú leis an bplean?
Did you stick to the plan?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To defeat in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to defeat?
The Irish for to defeat is cloígh (pronounced “klee”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cloí.
What is the verbal noun of cloígh?
The verbal noun of cloígh is cloí, used after ag for the continuous: ag cloí (defeating). The verbal adjective is cloíte.
How do you say cloígh in the past and the future?
Past: Chloígh mé; negative Níor chloígh mé; question Ar chloígh mé?. Future: Cloífidh mé; negative Ní chloífidh mé; question An gcloífidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cloígh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chloífinn (I would defeat); negative Ní chloífinn; question An gcloífinn?.
Does cloígh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cloígh can mean to defeat, to adhere or to exhaust, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Which preposition does 'cloígh' take when it means 'stick to'?
It takes 'le': 'cloí leis na rialacha' means to adhere to the rules. Without 'le' it usually means to defeat, as in 'an namhaid a chloí'.
What does 'cloíte' mean as an adjective?
'Cloíte' can mean defeated or exhausted, as in 'Tá mé cloíte' (I'm worn out).
