HeyRuaHow to say “to hit” in Irish
- Irish:
- buail
- English:
- to hit, meet, defeat, strike
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- bualadh (ag bualadh, hitting)
- Verbal adjective:
- buailte
- Pronunciation:
- “boo-il” /bˠuəlʲ/
What does “buail” mean?
“Buail” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to hit
- To strike someone or something with a blow.Also: strike, beat, knock, thump.
3 other meanings: meet or defeat or strike
- 2to meet
- With the preposition 'le', to meet or come across someone.Also: bump into, run into, come across.
- 3to defeat
- To beat an opponent in a game or contest.Also: beat, overcome.
- 4to strike
- Of an illness or feeling, to come upon or seize a person suddenly.Also: seize, come over, afflict.
“Buail” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Bhuail méI hit | Níor bhuail méI did not hit | Ar bhuail mé?Did I hit? |
| tú (you) | Bhuail túYou hit | Níor bhuail túYou did not hit | Ar bhuail tú?Did you hit? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhuail sé / síHe hit | Níor bhuail sé / síHe did not hit | Ar bhuail sé / sí?Did he hit? |
| sinn (we) | BhuaileamarWe hit | Níor bhuaileamarWe did not hit | Ar bhuaileamar?Did we hit? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhuail sibhYou hit | Níor bhuail sibhYou did not hit | Ar bhuail sibh?Did you hit? |
| siad (they) | Bhuail siadThey hit | Níor bhuail siadThey did not hit | Ar bhuail siad?Did they hit? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Buaileadh | Níor buaileadh | Ar buaileadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BuailimI hit | Ní bhuailimI do not hit | An mbuailim?Do I hit? |
| tú (you) | Buaileann túYou hit | Ní bhuaileann túYou do not hit | An mbuaileann tú?Do you hit? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Buaileann sé / síHe hits | Ní bhuaileann sé / síHe does not hit | An mbuaileann sé / sí?Does he hit? |
| sinn (we) | BuailimidWe hit | Ní bhuailimidWe do not hit | An mbuailimid?Do we hit? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Buaileann sibhYou hit | Ní bhuaileann sibhYou do not hit | An mbuaileann sibh?Do you hit? |
| siad (they) | Buaileann siadThey hit | Ní bhuaileann siadThey do not hit | An mbuaileann siad?Do they hit? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Buailtear | Ní bhuailtear | An mbuailtear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Buailfidh méI will hit | Ní bhuailfidh méI will not hit | An mbuailfidh mé?Will I hit? |
| tú (you) | Buailfidh túYou will hit | Ní bhuailfidh túYou will not hit | An mbuailfidh tú?Will you hit? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Buailfidh sé / síHe will hit | Ní bhuailfidh sé / síHe will not hit | An mbuailfidh sé / sí?Will he hit? |
| sinn (we) | BuailfimidWe will hit | Ní bhuailfimidWe will not hit | An mbuailfimid?Will we hit? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Buailfidh sibhYou will hit | Ní bhuailfidh sibhYou will not hit | An mbuailfidh sibh?Will you hit? |
| siad (they) | Buailfidh siadThey will hit | Ní bhuailfidh siadThey will not hit | An mbuailfidh siad?Will they hit? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Buailfear | Ní bhuailfear | An mbuailfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BhuailfinnI would hit | Ní bhuailfinnI would not hit | An mbuailfinn?Would I hit? |
| tú (you) | BhuailfeáYou would hit | Ní bhuailfeáYou would not hit | An mbuailfeá?Would you hit? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhuailfeadh sé / síHe would hit | Ní bhuailfeadh sé / síHe would not hit | An mbuailfeadh sé / sí?Would he hit? |
| sinn (we) | BhuailfimisWe would hit | Ní bhuailfimisWe would not hit | An mbuailfimis?Would we hit? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhuailfeadh sibhYou would hit | Ní bhuailfeadh sibhYou would not hit | An mbuailfeadh sibh?Would you hit? |
| siad (they) | BhuailfidísThey would hit | Ní bhuailfidísThey would not hit | An mbuailfidís?Would they hit? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bhuailfí | Ní bhuailfí | An mbuailfí? |
“Buail” 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 hit in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to hit?
The Irish for to hit is buail (pronounced “boo-il”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is bualadh.
What is the verbal noun of buail?
The verbal noun of buail is bualadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag bualadh (hitting). The verbal adjective is buailte.
How do you say buail in the past and the future?
Past: Bhuail mé; negative Níor bhuail mé; question Ar bhuail mé?. Future: Buailfidh mé; negative Ní bhuailfidh mé; question An mbuailfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of buail?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Bhuailfinn (I would hit); negative Ní bhuailfinn; question An mbuailfinn?.
Does buail have more than one meaning?
Yes. Buail can mean to hit, to meet, to defeat or to strike, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'meet someone' with buail?
Use 'buail le': 'Bhuail mé le Máire' means 'I met Máire'. 'Deas bualadh leat' means 'Nice to meet you'.
Is buail the same as cas le?
Both can mean 'meet': 'buail le' and 'cas le' are often interchangeable, though 'casadh orm é' suggests a chance meeting.
