HeyRuaHow to say “to drown” in Irish
- Irish:
- báigh
- English:
- to drown, sink, immerse, elide
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- bá (ag bá, drowning)
- Verbal adjective:
- báite
- Pronunciation:
- “baw” /bˠɑːj/
What does “báigh” mean?
“Báigh” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to drown
- To die, or cause someone to die, under water.Also: be drowned.
3 other meanings: sink or immerse or elide
- 2to sink
- To make a boat or object go down under water.Also: submerge, scuttle.
- 3to immerse
- To put something completely under water or another liquid, or to soak it.Also: soak, drench, flood.
- 4to elide
- In grammar, to drop a vowel or sound in pronunciation.Also: drop a sound.
“Báigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Bháigh méI drowned | Níor bháigh méI did not drown | Ar bháigh mé?Did I drown? |
| tú (you) | Bháigh túYou drowned | Níor bháigh túYou did not drown | Ar bháigh tú?Did you drown? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bháigh sé / síHe drowned | Níor bháigh sé / síHe did not drown | Ar bháigh sé / sí?Did he drown? |
| sinn (we) | BhámarWe drowned | Níor bhámarWe did not drown | Ar bhámar?Did we drown? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bháigh sibhYou drowned | Níor bháigh sibhYou did not drown | Ar bháigh sibh?Did you drown? |
| siad (they) | Bháigh siadThey drowned | Níor bháigh siadThey did not drown | Ar bháigh siad?Did they drown? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bádh | Níor bádh | Ar bádh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BáimI drown | Ní bháimI do not drown | An mbáim?Do I drown? |
| tú (you) | Bánn túYou drown | Ní bhánn túYou do not drown | An mbánn tú?Do you drown? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bánn sé / síHe drowns | Ní bhánn sé / síHe does not drown | An mbánn sé / sí?Does he drown? |
| sinn (we) | BáimidWe drown | Ní bháimidWe do not drown | An mbáimid?Do we drown? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bánn sibhYou drown | Ní bhánn sibhYou do not drown | An mbánn sibh?Do you drown? |
| siad (they) | Bánn siadThey drown | Ní bhánn siadThey do not drown | An mbánn siad?Do they drown? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Báitear | Ní bháitear | An mbáitear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Báfaidh méI will drown | Ní bháfaidh méI will not drown | An mbáfaidh mé?Will I drown? |
| tú (you) | Báfaidh túYou will drown | Ní bháfaidh túYou will not drown | An mbáfaidh tú?Will you drown? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Báfaidh sé / síHe will drown | Ní bháfaidh sé / síHe will not drown | An mbáfaidh sé / sí?Will he drown? |
| sinn (we) | BáfaimidWe will drown | Ní bháfaimidWe will not drown | An mbáfaimid?Will we drown? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Báfaidh sibhYou will drown | Ní bháfaidh sibhYou will not drown | An mbáfaidh sibh?Will you drown? |
| siad (they) | Báfaidh siadThey will drown | Ní bháfaidh siadThey will not drown | An mbáfaidh siad?Will they drown? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Báfar | Ní bháfar | An mbáfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BháfainnI would drown | Ní bháfainnI would not drown | An mbáfainn?Would I drown? |
| tú (you) | BháfáYou would drown | Ní bháfáYou would not drown | An mbáfá?Would you drown? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bháfadh sé / síHe would drown | Ní bháfadh sé / síHe would not drown | An mbáfadh sé / sí?Would he drown? |
| sinn (we) | BháfaimisWe would drown | Ní bháfaimisWe would not drown | An mbáfaimis?Would we drown? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bháfadh sibhYou would drown | Ní bháfadh sibhYou would not drown | An mbáfadh sibh?Would you drown? |
| siad (they) | BháfaidísThey would drown | Ní bháfaidísThey would not drown | An mbáfaidís?Would they drown? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bháfaí | Ní bháfaí | An mbáfaí? |
“Báigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Bádh é agus é ag snámh san fharraige.
He drowned while swimming in the sea.
Bánn sí na héadaí in uisce te.
She soaks the clothes in hot water.
Báfaidh an stoirm an bád beag sin.
The storm will sink that little boat.
Bháfadh an tuile an baile ar fad.
The flood would drown the whole town.
Níor bádh aon duine sa timpiste.
Nobody was drowned in the accident.
Ar bádh an long sa stoirm?
Was the ship sunk in the storm?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To drown in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to drown?
The Irish for to drown is báigh (pronounced “baw”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is bá.
What is the verbal noun of báigh?
The verbal noun of báigh is bá, used after ag for the continuous: ag bá (drowning). The verbal adjective is báite.
How do you say báigh in the past and the future?
Past: Bháigh mé; negative Níor bháigh mé; question Ar bháigh mé?. Future: Báfaidh mé; negative Ní bháfaidh mé; question An mbáfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of báigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Bháfainn (I would drown); negative Ní bháfainn; question An mbáfainn?.
Does báigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Báigh can mean to drown, to sink, to immerse or to elide, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do you say someone drowned in Irish?
Irish usually uses the autonomous form: 'Bádh é' means 'he was drowned', i.e. he drowned.
Does 'báite' have other uses?
Yes, 'báite' also means soaked, as in 'Tá mé báite' (I'm drenched).
