HeyRuaHow to say “to give” in Irish
- Irish:
- tabhair
- English:
- to give, bring, call, notice
- Word type:
- verb, irregular
- Verbal noun:
- tabhairt (ag tabhairt, giving)
- Verbal adjective:
- tugtha
- Pronunciation:
- “toor” /t̪ˠuːɾʲ/
What does “tabhair” mean?
“Tabhair” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to give
- To hand or grant something to someone.Also: hand, grant, present.
3 other meanings: bring or call or notice
- 2to bring
- To bring or take something with you, used with 'le' (tabhair leat).Also: take, carry.
- 3to call
- To call someone or something by a name, used with 'ar' (tabhair ainm ar).Also: name.
- 4to notice
- To notice or pay attention, in phrases like 'tabhair faoi deara' and 'tabhair aird ar'.Also: pay attention, observe.
“Tabhair” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Irregular verb. Tabhair 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) | Thug méI gave | Níor thug méI did not give | Ar thug mé?Did I give? |
| tú (you) | Thug túYou gave | Níor thug túYou did not give | Ar thug tú?Did you give? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thug sé / síHe gave | Níor thug sé / síHe did not give | Ar thug sé / sí?Did he give? |
| sinn (we) | ThugamarWe gave | Níor thugamarWe did not give | Ar thugamar?Did we give? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thug sibhYou gave | Níor thug sibhYou did not give | Ar thug sibh?Did you give? |
| siad (they) | Thug siadThey gave | Níor thug siadThey did not give | Ar thug siad?Did they give? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tugadh | Níor tugadh | Ar tugadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | TugaimI give | Ní thugaimI do not give | An dtugaim?Do I give? |
| tú (you) | Tugann túYou give | Ní thugann túYou do not give | An dtugann tú?Do you give? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tugann sé / síHe gives | Ní thugann sé / síHe does not give | An dtugann sé / sí?Does he give? |
| sinn (we) | TugaimidWe give | Ní thugaimidWe do not give | An dtugaimid?Do we give? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tugann sibhYou give | Ní thugann sibhYou do not give | An dtugann sibh?Do you give? |
| siad (they) | Tugann siadThey give | Ní thugann siadThey do not give | An dtugann siad?Do they give? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tugtar | Ní thugtar | An dtugtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Tabharfaidh méI will give | Ní thabharfaidh méI will not give | An dtabharfaidh mé?Will I give? |
| tú (you) | Tabharfaidh túYou will give | Ní thabharfaidh túYou will not give | An dtabharfaidh tú?Will you give? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tabharfaidh sé / síHe will give | Ní thabharfaidh sé / síHe will not give | An dtabharfaidh sé / sí?Will he give? |
| sinn (we) | TabharfaimidWe will give | Ní thabharfaimidWe will not give | An dtabharfaimid?Will we give? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tabharfaidh sibhYou will give | Ní thabharfaidh sibhYou will not give | An dtabharfaidh sibh?Will you give? |
| siad (they) | Tabharfaidh siadThey will give | Ní thabharfaidh siadThey will not give | An dtabharfaidh siad?Will they give? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tabharfar | Ní thabharfar | An dtabharfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ThabharfainnI would give | Ní thabharfainnI would not give | An dtabharfainn?Would I give? |
| tú (you) | ThabharfáYou would give | Ní thabharfáYou would not give | An dtabharfá?Would you give? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thabharfadh sé / síHe would give | Ní thabharfadh sé / síHe would not give | An dtabharfadh sé / sí?Would he give? |
| sinn (we) | ThabharfaimisWe would give | Ní thabharfaimisWe would not give | An dtabharfaimis?Would we give? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thabharfadh sibhYou would give | Ní thabharfadh sibhYou would not give | An dtabharfadh sibh?Would you give? |
| siad (they) | ThabharfaidísThey would give | Ní thabharfaidísThey would not give | An dtabharfaidís?Would they give? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Thabharfaí | Ní thabharfaí | An dtabharfaí? |
“Tabhair” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with tabhair: Tabhair aire duit féin (take care), Tabhair aire duit féin (take care)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “tabhair”
To give in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to give?
The Irish for to give is tabhair (pronounced “toor”). It is an irregular verb; the verbal noun is tabhairt.
What is the verbal noun of tabhair?
The verbal noun of tabhair is tabhairt, used after ag for the continuous: ag tabhairt (giving). The verbal adjective is tugtha.
How do you say tabhair in the past and the future?
Past: Thug mé; negative Níor thug mé; question Ar thug mé?. Future: Tabharfaidh mé; negative Ní thabharfaidh mé; question An dtabharfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of tabhair?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Thabharfainn (I would give); negative Ní thabharfainn; question An dtabharfainn?.
Is tabhair an irregular verb?
Tabhair 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 tabhair have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tabhair can mean to give, to bring, to call or to notice, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'bring' or 'take with you' with tabhair?
Use 'tabhair' with 'le' and a pronoun: 'Tabhair an gunna leat' means 'Take the gun with you', and 'Tabhair leat é' means 'Bring it with you'.
Which preposition marks the person who receives something?
Use 'do': 'Thug mé an leabhar do Sheán' means 'I gave the book to Seán', and 'Thug sí dom é' means 'She gave it to me'.
