HeyRuaHow to say “to drink” in Irish
- Irish:
- ól
- English:
- to drink, drink alcohol, smoke
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- ól (ag ól, drinking)
- Verbal adjective:
- ólta
- Pronunciation:
- “ohl” /oːlˠ/
What does “ól” mean?
“Ól” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to drink
- To take a liquid into your mouth and swallow it.Also: sip, swallow, have a drink.
2 other meanings: drink alcohol or smoke
- 2to drink alcohol
- To drink alcoholic drinks, especially regularly or too much.Also: drink, booze, tipple.
- 3to smoke
- To smoke tobacco, in the traditional expression 'tobac a ól'.Also: smoke tobacco.
“Ól” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'ól méI drank | Níor ól méI did not drink | Ar ól mé?Did I drink? |
| tú (you) | D'ól túYou drank | Níor ól túYou did not drink | Ar ól tú?Did you drink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'ól sé / síHe drank | Níor ól sé / síHe did not drink | Ar ól sé / sí?Did he drink? |
| sinn (we) | D'ólamarWe drank | Níor ólamarWe did not drink | Ar ólamar?Did we drink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'ól sibhYou drank | Níor ól sibhYou did not drink | Ar ól sibh?Did you drink? |
| siad (they) | D'ól siadThey drank | Níor ól siadThey did not drink | Ar ól siad?Did they drink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Óladh | Níor óladh | Ar óladh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ÓlaimI drink | Ní ólaimI do not drink | An ólaim?Do I drink? |
| tú (you) | Ólann túYou drink | Ní ólann túYou do not drink | An ólann tú?Do you drink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ólann sé / síHe drinks | Ní ólann sé / síHe does not drink | An ólann sé / sí?Does he drink? |
| sinn (we) | ÓlaimidWe drink | Ní ólaimidWe do not drink | An ólaimid?Do we drink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ólann sibhYou drink | Ní ólann sibhYou do not drink | An ólann sibh?Do you drink? |
| siad (they) | Ólann siadThey drink | Ní ólann siadThey do not drink | An ólann siad?Do they drink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Óltar | Ní óltar | An óltar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Ólfaidh méI will drink | Ní ólfaidh méI will not drink | An ólfaidh mé?Will I drink? |
| tú (you) | Ólfaidh túYou will drink | Ní ólfaidh túYou will not drink | An ólfaidh tú?Will you drink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ólfaidh sé / síHe will drink | Ní ólfaidh sé / síHe will not drink | An ólfaidh sé / sí?Will he drink? |
| sinn (we) | ÓlfaimidWe will drink | Ní ólfaimidWe will not drink | An ólfaimid?Will we drink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ólfaidh sibhYou will drink | Ní ólfaidh sibhYou will not drink | An ólfaidh sibh?Will you drink? |
| siad (they) | Ólfaidh siadThey will drink | Ní ólfaidh siadThey will not drink | An ólfaidh siad?Will they drink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ólfar | Ní ólfar | An ólfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'ólfainnI would drink | Ní ólfainnI would not drink | An ólfainn?Would I drink? |
| tú (you) | D'ólfáYou would drink | Ní ólfáYou would not drink | An ólfá?Would you drink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'ólfadh sé / síHe would drink | Ní ólfadh sé / síHe would not drink | An ólfadh sé / sí?Would he drink? |
| sinn (we) | D'ólfaimisWe would drink | Ní ólfaimisWe would not drink | An ólfaimis?Would we drink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'ólfadh sibhYou would drink | Ní ólfadh sibhYou would not drink | An ólfadh sibh?Would you drink? |
| siad (they) | D'ólfaidísThey would drink | Ní ólfaidísThey would not drink | An ólfaidís?Would they drink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'ólfaí | Ní ólfaí | An ólfaí? |
“Ól” 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 drink in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to drink?
The Irish for to drink is ól (pronounced “ohl”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is ól.
What is the verbal noun of ól?
The verbal noun of ól is ól, used after ag for the continuous: ag ól (drinking). The verbal adjective is ólta.
How do you say ól in the past and the future?
Past: D'ól mé; negative Níor ól mé; question Ar ól mé?. Future: Ólfaidh mé; negative Ní ólfaidh mé; question An ólfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of ól?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'ólfainn (I would drink); negative Ní ólfainn; question An ólfainn?.
Does ól have more than one meaning?
Yes. Ól can mean to drink, to drink alcohol or to smoke, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Is 'ól' also a noun?
Yes, 'ól' is also the verbal noun and a noun meaning 'drink, drinking', as in 'tá sé tugtha don ól' (he is given to drink).
Why is it 'd'ól' in the past tense?
Verbs beginning with a vowel take d' in the past tense, so 'd'ól mé' means 'I drank', but the negative is 'níor ól mé'.
