HeyRuaHow to say “to feed” in Irish
- Irish:
- cothaigh
- English:
- to feed, foster, cause
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cothú (ag cothú, feeding)
- Verbal adjective:
- cothaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KUH-hee” /ˈkɔhə/
What does “cothaigh” mean?
“Cothaigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to feed
- To give food or nourishment to a person, animal or plant.Also: nourish, sustain, maintain.
2 other meanings: foster or cause
- 2to foster
- To encourage or promote something such as cooperation, friendship or growth.Also: promote, encourage, cultivate, nurture.
- 3to cause
- To stir up or bring about something bad, such as trouble or problems.Also: stir up, foment, create.
Other Irish verbs for to feed: beathaigh (feed), biathaigh (feed)
“Cothaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chothaigh méI fed | Níor chothaigh méI did not feed | Ar chothaigh mé?Did I feed? |
| tú (you) | Chothaigh túYou fed | Níor chothaigh túYou did not feed | Ar chothaigh tú?Did you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chothaigh sé / síHe fed | Níor chothaigh sé / síHe did not feed | Ar chothaigh sé / sí?Did he feed? |
| sinn (we) | ChothaíomarWe fed | Níor chothaíomarWe did not feed | Ar chothaíomar?Did we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chothaigh sibhYou fed | Níor chothaigh sibhYou did not feed | Ar chothaigh sibh?Did you feed? |
| siad (they) | Chothaigh siadThey fed | Níor chothaigh siadThey did not feed | Ar chothaigh siad?Did they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cothaíodh | Níor cothaíodh | Ar cothaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CothaímI feed | Ní chothaímI do not feed | An gcothaím?Do I feed? |
| tú (you) | Cothaíonn túYou feed | Ní chothaíonn túYou do not feed | An gcothaíonn tú?Do you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cothaíonn sé / síHe feeds | Ní chothaíonn sé / síHe does not feed | An gcothaíonn sé / sí?Does he feed? |
| sinn (we) | CothaímidWe feed | Ní chothaímidWe do not feed | An gcothaímid?Do we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cothaíonn sibhYou feed | Ní chothaíonn sibhYou do not feed | An gcothaíonn sibh?Do you feed? |
| siad (they) | Cothaíonn siadThey feed | Ní chothaíonn siadThey do not feed | An gcothaíonn siad?Do they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cothaítear | Ní chothaítear | An gcothaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cothóidh méI will feed | Ní chothóidh méI will not feed | An gcothóidh mé?Will I feed? |
| tú (you) | Cothóidh túYou will feed | Ní chothóidh túYou will not feed | An gcothóidh tú?Will you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cothóidh sé / síHe will feed | Ní chothóidh sé / síHe will not feed | An gcothóidh sé / sí?Will he feed? |
| sinn (we) | CothóimidWe will feed | Ní chothóimidWe will not feed | An gcothóimid?Will we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cothóidh sibhYou will feed | Ní chothóidh sibhYou will not feed | An gcothóidh sibh?Will you feed? |
| siad (they) | Cothóidh siadThey will feed | Ní chothóidh siadThey will not feed | An gcothóidh siad?Will they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cothófar | Ní chothófar | An gcothófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChothóinnI would feed | Ní chothóinnI would not feed | An gcothóinn?Would I feed? |
| tú (you) | ChothófáYou would feed | Ní chothófáYou would not feed | An gcothófá?Would you feed? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chothódh sé / síHe would feed | Ní chothódh sé / síHe would not feed | An gcothódh sé / sí?Would he feed? |
| sinn (we) | ChothóimisWe would feed | Ní chothóimisWe would not feed | An gcothóimis?Would we feed? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chothódh sibhYou would feed | Ní chothódh sibhYou would not feed | An gcothódh sibh?Would you feed? |
| siad (they) | ChothóidísThey would feed | Ní chothóidísThey would not feed | An gcothóidís?Would they feed? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chothófaí | Ní chothófaí | An gcothófaí? |
“Cothaigh” 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 feed in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to feed?
The Irish for to feed is cothaigh (pronounced “KUH-hee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cothú.
What is the verbal noun of cothaigh?
The verbal noun of cothaigh is cothú, used after ag for the continuous: ag cothú (feeding). The verbal adjective is cothaithe.
How do you say cothaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Chothaigh mé; negative Níor chothaigh mé; question Ar chothaigh mé?. Future: Cothóidh mé; negative Ní chothóidh mé; question An gcothóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cothaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chothóinn (I would feed); negative Ní chothóinn; question An gcothóinn?.
Does cothaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cothaigh can mean to feed, to foster or to cause, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'cothaigh' and 'beathaigh'?
Both can mean to feed or nourish, but 'cothaigh' is also widely used figuratively, as in 'comhar a chothú' (to foster cooperation) or 'trioblóid a chothú' (to cause trouble).
