HeyRuaHow to say “to grind” in Irish
- Irish:
- meil
- English:
- to grind, waste, wear down, chew
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- meilt (ag meilt, grinding)
- Verbal adjective:
- meilte
- Pronunciation:
- “mel” /mʲelʲ/
What does “meil” mean?
“Meil” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to grind
- To crush grain, coffee or similar into small pieces or powder.Also: mill, crush.
3 other meanings: waste or wear down or chew
- 2to waste
- To pass or use up time idly, as in 'ag meilt ama'.Also: kill time, while away, pass time.
- 3to wear down
- To wear something away or crush it gradually.Also: wear away, crush, destroy.
- 4to chew
- To chew or eat up food.Also: eat, consume.
“Meil” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Mheil méI ground | Níor mheil méI did not grind | Ar mheil mé?Did I grind? |
| tú (you) | Mheil túYou ground | Níor mheil túYou did not grind | Ar mheil tú?Did you grind? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Mheil sé / síHe ground | Níor mheil sé / síHe did not grind | Ar mheil sé / sí?Did he grind? |
| sinn (we) | MheileamarWe ground | Níor mheileamarWe did not grind | Ar mheileamar?Did we grind? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Mheil sibhYou ground | Níor mheil sibhYou did not grind | Ar mheil sibh?Did you grind? |
| siad (they) | Mheil siadThey ground | Níor mheil siadThey did not grind | Ar mheil siad?Did they grind? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Meileadh | Níor meileadh | Ar meileadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | MeilimI grind | Ní mheilimI do not grind | An meilim?Do I grind? |
| tú (you) | Meileann túYou grind | Ní mheileann túYou do not grind | An meileann tú?Do you grind? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Meileann sé / síHe grinds | Ní mheileann sé / síHe does not grind | An meileann sé / sí?Does he grind? |
| sinn (we) | MeilimidWe grind | Ní mheilimidWe do not grind | An meilimid?Do we grind? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Meileann sibhYou grind | Ní mheileann sibhYou do not grind | An meileann sibh?Do you grind? |
| siad (they) | Meileann siadThey grind | Ní mheileann siadThey do not grind | An meileann siad?Do they grind? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Meiltear | Ní mheiltear | An meiltear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Meilfidh méI will grind | Ní mheilfidh méI will not grind | An meilfidh mé?Will I grind? |
| tú (you) | Meilfidh túYou will grind | Ní mheilfidh túYou will not grind | An meilfidh tú?Will you grind? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Meilfidh sé / síHe will grind | Ní mheilfidh sé / síHe will not grind | An meilfidh sé / sí?Will he grind? |
| sinn (we) | MeilfimidWe will grind | Ní mheilfimidWe will not grind | An meilfimid?Will we grind? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Meilfidh sibhYou will grind | Ní mheilfidh sibhYou will not grind | An meilfidh sibh?Will you grind? |
| siad (they) | Meilfidh siadThey will grind | Ní mheilfidh siadThey will not grind | An meilfidh siad?Will they grind? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Meilfear | Ní mheilfear | An meilfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | MheilfinnI would grind | Ní mheilfinnI would not grind | An meilfinn?Would I grind? |
| tú (you) | MheilfeáYou would grind | Ní mheilfeáYou would not grind | An meilfeá?Would you grind? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Mheilfeadh sé / síHe would grind | Ní mheilfeadh sé / síHe would not grind | An meilfeadh sé / sí?Would he grind? |
| sinn (we) | MheilfimisWe would grind | Ní mheilfimisWe would not grind | An meilfimis?Would we grind? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Mheilfeadh sibhYou would grind | Ní mheilfeadh sibhYou would not grind | An meilfeadh sibh?Would you grind? |
| siad (they) | MheilfidísThey would grind | Ní mheilfidísThey would not grind | An meilfidís?Would they grind? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Mheilfí | Ní mheilfí | An meilfí? |
“Meil” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Mheil sé an caife ar maidin.
He ground the coffee this morning.
Meileann an muileann an t-arbhar.
The mill grinds the corn.
Meilfidh mé an piobar duit.
I will grind the pepper for you.
Mheilfeadh sí an plúr dá mbeadh an t-am aici.
She would grind the flour if she had the time.
Níor mheil siad an t-arbhar fós.
They haven't ground the grain yet.
Ar mheil tú an caife?
Did you grind the coffee?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To grind in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to grind?
The Irish for to grind is meil (pronounced “mel”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is meilt.
What is the verbal noun of meil?
The verbal noun of meil is meilt, used after ag for the continuous: ag meilt (grinding). The verbal adjective is meilte.
How do you say meil in the past and the future?
Past: Mheil mé; negative Níor mheil mé; question Ar mheil mé?. Future: Meilfidh mé; negative Ní mheilfidh mé; question An meilfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of meil?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Mheilfinn (I would grind); negative Ní mheilfinn; question An meilfinn?.
Does meil have more than one meaning?
Yes. Meil can mean to grind, to waste, to wear down or to chew, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'killing time' in Irish?
Use the verbal noun with the genitive of 'am': 'ag meilt ama', for example 'Ní raibh mé ach ag meilt ama'.
