HeyRuaHow to say “to encourage” in Irish
- Irish:
- spreag
- English:
- to encourage, incite, rebuke
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- spreagadh (ag spreagadh, encouraging)
- Verbal adjective:
- spreagtha
- Pronunciation:
- “sprag” /sˠpʲɾʲaɡ/
What does “spreag” mean?
“Spreag” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to encourage
- To urge, inspire or motivate someone to do something.Also: inspire, motivate, urge, prompt.
2 other meanings: incite or rebuke
- 2to incite
- To stir up or provoke a feeling or action, often a bad one.Also: provoke, stir up, arouse.
- 3to rebuke
- To scold or reprove someone sharply.Also: reprove, scold.
“Spreag” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Spreag méI encouraged | Níor spreag méI did not encourage | Ar spreag mé?Did I encourage? |
| tú (you) | Spreag túYou encouraged | Níor spreag túYou did not encourage | Ar spreag tú?Did you encourage? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Spreag sé / síHe encouraged | Níor spreag sé / síHe did not encourage | Ar spreag sé / sí?Did he encourage? |
| sinn (we) | SpreagamarWe encouraged | Níor spreagamarWe did not encourage | Ar spreagamar?Did we encourage? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Spreag sibhYou encouraged | Níor spreag sibhYou did not encourage | Ar spreag sibh?Did you encourage? |
| siad (they) | Spreag siadThey encouraged | Níor spreag siadThey did not encourage | Ar spreag siad?Did they encourage? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Spreagadh | Níor spreagadh | Ar spreagadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SpreagaimI encourage | Ní spreagaimI do not encourage | An spreagaim?Do I encourage? |
| tú (you) | Spreagann túYou encourage | Ní spreagann túYou do not encourage | An spreagann tú?Do you encourage? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Spreagann sé / síHe encourages | Ní spreagann sé / síHe does not encourage | An spreagann sé / sí?Does he encourage? |
| sinn (we) | SpreagaimidWe encourage | Ní spreagaimidWe do not encourage | An spreagaimid?Do we encourage? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Spreagann sibhYou encourage | Ní spreagann sibhYou do not encourage | An spreagann sibh?Do you encourage? |
| siad (they) | Spreagann siadThey encourage | Ní spreagann siadThey do not encourage | An spreagann siad?Do they encourage? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Spreagtar | Ní spreagtar | An spreagtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Spreagfaidh méI will encourage | Ní spreagfaidh méI will not encourage | An spreagfaidh mé?Will I encourage? |
| tú (you) | Spreagfaidh túYou will encourage | Ní spreagfaidh túYou will not encourage | An spreagfaidh tú?Will you encourage? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Spreagfaidh sé / síHe will encourage | Ní spreagfaidh sé / síHe will not encourage | An spreagfaidh sé / sí?Will he encourage? |
| sinn (we) | SpreagfaimidWe will encourage | Ní spreagfaimidWe will not encourage | An spreagfaimid?Will we encourage? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Spreagfaidh sibhYou will encourage | Ní spreagfaidh sibhYou will not encourage | An spreagfaidh sibh?Will you encourage? |
| siad (they) | Spreagfaidh siadThey will encourage | Ní spreagfaidh siadThey will not encourage | An spreagfaidh siad?Will they encourage? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Spreagfar | Ní spreagfar | An spreagfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SpreagfainnI would encourage | Ní spreagfainnI would not encourage | An spreagfainn?Would I encourage? |
| tú (you) | SpreagfáYou would encourage | Ní spreagfáYou would not encourage | An spreagfá?Would you encourage? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Spreagfadh sé / síHe would encourage | Ní spreagfadh sé / síHe would not encourage | An spreagfadh sé / sí?Would he encourage? |
| sinn (we) | SpreagfaimisWe would encourage | Ní spreagfaimisWe would not encourage | An spreagfaimis?Would we encourage? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Spreagfadh sibhYou would encourage | Ní spreagfadh sibhYou would not encourage | An spreagfadh sibh?Would you encourage? |
| siad (they) | SpreagfaidísThey would encourage | Ní spreagfaidísThey would not encourage | An spreagfaidís?Would they encourage? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Spreagfaí | Ní spreagfaí | An spreagfaí? |
“Spreag” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Spreag an múinteoir na daltaí chun staidéar a dhéanamh.
The teacher encouraged the pupils to study.
Spreagann an ceol sin mé i gcónaí.
That music always inspires me.
Spreagfaidh an bua seo an fhoireann.
This win will motivate the team.
Spreagfadh sé sin daoine le vótáil.
That would encourage people to vote.
Níor spreag aon duine é chun é a dhéanamh.
Nobody prompted him to do it.
Ar spreag an t-alt sin fearg?
Did that article stir up anger?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To encourage in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to encourage?
The Irish for to encourage is spreag (pronounced “sprag”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is spreagadh.
What is the verbal noun of spreag?
The verbal noun of spreag is spreagadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag spreagadh (encouraging). The verbal adjective is spreagtha.
How do you say spreag in the past and the future?
Past: Spreag mé; negative Níor spreag mé; question Ar spreag mé?. Future: Spreagfaidh mé; negative Ní spreagfaidh mé; question An spreagfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of spreag?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Spreagfainn (I would encourage); negative Ní spreagfainn; question An spreagfainn?.
Does spreag have more than one meaning?
Yes. Spreag can mean to encourage, to incite or to rebuke, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'spreag' and 'gríosaigh'?
'Spreag' is the general word for encourage or inspire, while 'gríosaigh' more often means to rouse or incite strongly. Both can take 'chun': spreag chun oibre.
