HeyRuaHow to say “to light up” in Irish
- Irish:
- soilsigh
- English:
- to light up, shine, enlighten
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- soilsiú (ag soilsiú, lighting up)
- Verbal adjective:
- soilsithe
- Pronunciation:
- “SIL-shee” /ˈsˠɪlʲʃiː/
What does “soilsigh” mean?
“Soilsigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to light up
- To give light to something or make it bright.Also: illuminate, light, brighten.
2 other meanings: shine or enlighten
- 2to shine
- To give out light or become bright.Also: glow, become bright.
- 3to enlighten
- To make something clear or help someone understand it.Also: clarify, elucidate.
“Soilsigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Shoilsigh méI lit up | Níor shoilsigh méI did not light up | Ar shoilsigh mé?Did I light up? |
| tú (you) | Shoilsigh túYou lit up | Níor shoilsigh túYou did not light up | Ar shoilsigh tú?Did you light up? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shoilsigh sé / síHe lit up | Níor shoilsigh sé / síHe did not light up | Ar shoilsigh sé / sí?Did he light up? |
| sinn (we) | ShoilsíomarWe lit up | Níor shoilsíomarWe did not light up | Ar shoilsíomar?Did we light up? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shoilsigh sibhYou lit up | Níor shoilsigh sibhYou did not light up | Ar shoilsigh sibh?Did you light up? |
| siad (they) | Shoilsigh siadThey lit up | Níor shoilsigh siadThey did not light up | Ar shoilsigh siad?Did they light up? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Soilsíodh | Níor soilsíodh | Ar soilsíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SoilsímI light up | Ní shoilsímI do not light up | An soilsím?Do I light up? |
| tú (you) | Soilsíonn túYou light up | Ní shoilsíonn túYou do not light up | An soilsíonn tú?Do you light up? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Soilsíonn sé / síHe lights up | Ní shoilsíonn sé / síHe does not light up | An soilsíonn sé / sí?Does he light up? |
| sinn (we) | SoilsímidWe light up | Ní shoilsímidWe do not light up | An soilsímid?Do we light up? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Soilsíonn sibhYou light up | Ní shoilsíonn sibhYou do not light up | An soilsíonn sibh?Do you light up? |
| siad (they) | Soilsíonn siadThey light up | Ní shoilsíonn siadThey do not light up | An soilsíonn siad?Do they light up? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Soilsítear | Ní shoilsítear | An soilsítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Soilseoidh méI will light up | Ní shoilseoidh méI will not light up | An soilseoidh mé?Will I light up? |
| tú (you) | Soilseoidh túYou will light up | Ní shoilseoidh túYou will not light up | An soilseoidh tú?Will you light up? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Soilseoidh sé / síHe will light up | Ní shoilseoidh sé / síHe will not light up | An soilseoidh sé / sí?Will he light up? |
| sinn (we) | SoilseoimidWe will light up | Ní shoilseoimidWe will not light up | An soilseoimid?Will we light up? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Soilseoidh sibhYou will light up | Ní shoilseoidh sibhYou will not light up | An soilseoidh sibh?Will you light up? |
| siad (they) | Soilseoidh siadThey will light up | Ní shoilseoidh siadThey will not light up | An soilseoidh siad?Will they light up? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Soilseofar | Ní shoilseofar | An soilseofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ShoilseoinnI would light up | Ní shoilseoinnI would not light up | An soilseoinn?Would I light up? |
| tú (you) | ShoilseofáYou would light up | Ní shoilseofáYou would not light up | An soilseofá?Would you light up? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shoilseodh sé / síHe would light up | Ní shoilseodh sé / síHe would not light up | An soilseodh sé / sí?Would he light up? |
| sinn (we) | ShoilseoimisWe would light up | Ní shoilseoimisWe would not light up | An soilseoimis?Would we light up? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shoilseodh sibhYou would light up | Ní shoilseodh sibhYou would not light up | An soilseodh sibh?Would you light up? |
| siad (they) | ShoilseoidísThey would light up | Ní shoilseoidísThey would not light up | An soilseoidís?Would they light up? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Shoilseofaí | Ní shoilseofaí | An soilseofaí? |
“Soilsigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Shoilsigh na soilse an tsráid ar fad.
The lights lit up the whole street.
Soilsíonn an ghealach an cuan san oíche.
The moon lights up the harbour at night.
Soilseoidh siad an crann Nollag anocht.
They will light up the Christmas tree tonight.
Shoilseodh lampa nua an seomra níos fearr.
A new lamp would light the room better.
Níor shoilsigh an ghrian inniu ar chor ar bith.
The sun did not shine at all today.
Ar shoilsigh siad an séipéal don bhainis?
Did they light up the church for the wedding?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To light up in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to light up?
The Irish for to light up is soilsigh (pronounced “SIL-shee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is soilsiú.
What is the verbal noun of soilsigh?
The verbal noun of soilsigh is soilsiú, used after ag for the continuous: ag soilsiú (lighting up). The verbal adjective is soilsithe.
How do you say soilsigh in the past and the future?
Past: Shoilsigh mé; negative Níor shoilsigh mé; question Ar shoilsigh mé?. Future: Soilseoidh mé; negative Ní shoilseoidh mé; question An soilseoidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of soilsigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Shoilseoinn (I would light up); negative Ní shoilseoinn; question An soilseoinn?.
Does soilsigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Soilsigh can mean to light up, to shine or to enlighten, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'soilsigh' and 'las'?
'Las' means to light or ignite something, such as a fire or a candle, while 'soilsigh' means to illuminate or shed light on something, such as a room or a street.
