HeyRuaHow to say “to eat” in Irish
- Irish:
- ith
- English:
- to eat, consume
- Word type:
- verb, irregular
- Verbal noun:
- ithe (ag ithe, eating)
- Verbal adjective:
- ite
- Pronunciation:
- “ih” /ɪh/
What does “ith” mean?
“Ith” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to eat
- To take food into the mouth, chew it and swallow it.Also: have a meal, consume, dine.
1 other meaning: consume
- 2to consume
- To use up or wear away something, such as money, time or material.Also: use up, eat into, eat away.
“Ith” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Irregular verb. Ith is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'ith méI ate | Níor ith méI did not eat | Ar ith mé?Did I eat? |
| tú (you) | D'ith túYou ate | Níor ith túYou did not eat | Ar ith tú?Did you eat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'ith sé / síHe ate | Níor ith sé / síHe did not eat | Ar ith sé / sí?Did he eat? |
| sinn (we) | D'itheamarWe ate | Níor itheamarWe did not eat | Ar itheamar?Did we eat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'ith sibhYou ate | Níor ith sibhYou did not eat | Ar ith sibh?Did you eat? |
| siad (they) | D'ith siadThey ate | Níor ith siadThey did not eat | Ar ith siad?Did they eat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Itheadh | Níor itheadh | Ar itheadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | IthimI eat | Ní ithimI do not eat | An ithim?Do I eat? |
| tú (you) | Itheann túYou eat | Ní itheann túYou do not eat | An itheann tú?Do you eat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Itheann sé / síHe eats | Ní itheann sé / síHe does not eat | An itheann sé / sí?Does he eat? |
| sinn (we) | IthimidWe eat | Ní ithimidWe do not eat | An ithimid?Do we eat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Itheann sibhYou eat | Ní itheann sibhYou do not eat | An itheann sibh?Do you eat? |
| siad (they) | Itheann siadThey eat | Ní itheann siadThey do not eat | An itheann siad?Do they eat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Itear | Ní itear | An itear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Íosfaidh méI will eat | Ní íosfaidh méI will not eat | An íosfaidh mé?Will I eat? |
| tú (you) | Íosfaidh túYou will eat | Ní íosfaidh túYou will not eat | An íosfaidh tú?Will you eat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Íosfaidh sé / síHe will eat | Ní íosfaidh sé / síHe will not eat | An íosfaidh sé / sí?Will he eat? |
| sinn (we) | ÍosfaimidWe will eat | Ní íosfaimidWe will not eat | An íosfaimid?Will we eat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Íosfaidh sibhYou will eat | Ní íosfaidh sibhYou will not eat | An íosfaidh sibh?Will you eat? |
| siad (they) | Íosfaidh siadThey will eat | Ní íosfaidh siadThey will not eat | An íosfaidh siad?Will they eat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Íosfar | Ní íosfar | An íosfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'íosfainnI would eat | Ní íosfainnI would not eat | An íosfainn?Would I eat? |
| tú (you) | D'íosfáYou would eat | Ní íosfáYou would not eat | An íosfá?Would you eat? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'íosfadh sé / síHe would eat | Ní íosfadh sé / síHe would not eat | An íosfadh sé / sí?Would he eat? |
| sinn (we) | D'íosfaimisWe would eat | Ní íosfaimisWe would not eat | An íosfaimis?Would we eat? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'íosfadh sibhYou would eat | Ní íosfadh sibhYou would not eat | An íosfadh sibh?Would you eat? |
| siad (they) | D'íosfaidísThey would eat | Ní íosfaidísThey would not eat | An íosfaidís?Would they eat? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'íosfaí | Ní íosfaí | An íosfaí? |
“Ith” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with ith: Ithimis (let's eat)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “ith”
To eat in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to eat?
The Irish for to eat is ith (pronounced “ih”). It is an irregular verb; the verbal noun is ithe.
What is the verbal noun of ith?
The verbal noun of ith is ithe, used after ag for the continuous: ag ithe (eating). The verbal adjective is ite.
How do you say ith in the past and the future?
Past: D'ith mé; negative Níor ith mé; question Ar ith mé?. Future: Íosfaidh mé; negative Ní íosfaidh mé; question An íosfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of ith?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'íosfainn (I would eat); negative Ní íosfainn; question An íosfainn?.
Is ith an irregular verb?
Ith is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern. The tables above give every form.
Does ith have more than one meaning?
Yes. Ith can mean to eat or to consume, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Why does the future of 'ith' look so different?
'Ith' is irregular, so its future and conditional use the stem 'íos': 'íosfaidh mé' (I will eat) and 'd'íosfainn' (I would eat).
How do I say 'I am eating' in Irish?
Use the verbal noun 'ithe': 'Tá mé ag ithe.' With an object it becomes 'Tá mé ag ithe an bhia' or 'Tá mé ag ithe béile.'
