HeyRuaHow to say “to happen” in Irish
- Irish:
- tarlaigh
- English:
- to happen, happen to meet
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- tarlú (ag tarlú, happening)
- Verbal adjective:
- tarlaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “TAR-lee” /ˈt̪ˠaɾˠl̪ˠə/
What does “tarlaigh” mean?
“Tarlaigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to happen
- To take place or occur, especially an event or incident.Also: occur, take place, befall.
1 other meaning: happen to meet
- 2to happen to meet
- Used with 'do' or with a person as subject to mean that someone chanced to be somewhere or meet someone.Also: chance upon, come across, happen to be.
“Tarlaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Tharla méI happened | Níor tharla méI did not happen | Ar tharla mé?Did I happen? |
| tú (you) | Tharla túYou happened | Níor tharla túYou did not happen | Ar tharla tú?Did you happen? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tharla sé / síHe happened | Níor tharla sé / síHe did not happen | Ar tharla sé / sí?Did he happen? |
| sinn (we) | TharlaíomarWe happened | Níor tharlaíomarWe did not happen | Ar tharlaíomar?Did we happen? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tharla sibhYou happened | Níor tharla sibhYou did not happen | Ar tharla sibh?Did you happen? |
| siad (they) | Tharla siadThey happened | Níor tharla siadThey did not happen | Ar tharla siad?Did they happen? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tarlaíodh | Níor tarlaíodh | Ar tarlaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | TarlaímI happen | Ní tharlaímI do not happen | An dtarlaím?Do I happen? |
| tú (you) | Tarlaíonn túYou happen | Ní tharlaíonn túYou do not happen | An dtarlaíonn tú?Do you happen? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tarlaíonn sé / síHe happens | Ní tharlaíonn sé / síHe does not happen | An dtarlaíonn sé / sí?Does he happen? |
| sinn (we) | TarlaímidWe happen | Ní tharlaímidWe do not happen | An dtarlaímid?Do we happen? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tarlaíonn sibhYou happen | Ní tharlaíonn sibhYou do not happen | An dtarlaíonn sibh?Do you happen? |
| siad (they) | Tarlaíonn siadThey happen | Ní tharlaíonn siadThey do not happen | An dtarlaíonn siad?Do they happen? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tarlaítear | Ní tharlaítear | An dtarlaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Tarlóidh méI will happen | Ní tharlóidh méI will not happen | An dtarlóidh mé?Will I happen? |
| tú (you) | Tarlóidh túYou will happen | Ní tharlóidh túYou will not happen | An dtarlóidh tú?Will you happen? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tarlóidh sé / síHe will happen | Ní tharlóidh sé / síHe will not happen | An dtarlóidh sé / sí?Will he happen? |
| sinn (we) | TarlóimidWe will happen | Ní tharlóimidWe will not happen | An dtarlóimid?Will we happen? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tarlóidh sibhYou will happen | Ní tharlóidh sibhYou will not happen | An dtarlóidh sibh?Will you happen? |
| siad (they) | Tarlóidh siadThey will happen | Ní tharlóidh siadThey will not happen | An dtarlóidh siad?Will they happen? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tarlófar | Ní tharlófar | An dtarlófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | TharlóinnI would happen | Ní tharlóinnI would not happen | An dtarlóinn?Would I happen? |
| tú (you) | TharlófáYou would happen | Ní tharlófáYou would not happen | An dtarlófá?Would you happen? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tharlódh sé / síHe would happen | Ní tharlódh sé / síHe would not happen | An dtarlódh sé / sí?Would he happen? |
| sinn (we) | TharlóimisWe would happen | Ní tharlóimisWe would not happen | An dtarlóimis?Would we happen? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tharlódh sibhYou would happen | Ní tharlódh sibhYou would not happen | An dtarlódh sibh?Would you happen? |
| siad (they) | TharlóidísThey would happen | Ní tharlóidísThey would not happen | An dtarlóidís?Would they happen? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tharlófaí | Ní tharlófaí | An dtarlófaí? |
“Tarlaigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Cad a tharla ansin?
What happened then?
Tarlaíonn timpistí ar an mbóthar sin go minic.
Accidents often happen on that road.
Tarlóidh sé sin níos déanaí sa scéal.
That will happen later in the story.
Cad a tharlódh dá mbeadh sé déanach?
What would happen if he were late?
Ní tharlóidh sé arís.
It won't happen again.
Ar tharla aon rud aréir?
Did anything happen last night?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To happen in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to happen?
The Irish for to happen is tarlaigh (pronounced “TAR-lee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is tarlú.
What is the verbal noun of tarlaigh?
The verbal noun of tarlaigh is tarlú, used after ag for the continuous: ag tarlú (happening). The verbal adjective is tarlaithe.
How do you say tarlaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Tharla mé; negative Níor tharla mé; question Ar tharla mé?. Future: Tarlóidh mé; negative Ní tharlóidh mé; question An dtarlóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of tarlaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Tharlóinn (I would happen); negative Ní tharlóinn; question An dtarlóinn?.
Does tarlaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tarlaigh can mean to happen or to happen to meet, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say something happened to someone?
Use 'do': 'Cad a tharla duit?' means 'What happened to you?'
Why is the past tense 'tharla' and not 'tharlaigh'?
The standard past form is 'tharla', as in 'Tharla sé inné', not 'tharlaigh'.
