HeyRuaHow to say “to long for” in Irish
- Irish:
- tnúth
- English:
- to long for, envy
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- tnúth (ag tnúth, longing for)
- Verbal adjective:
- tnúite
- Pronunciation:
- “t-noo” /t̪ˠn̪ˠuː/
What does “tnúth” mean?
“Tnúth” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to long for
- To wish strongly for something or look forward to it eagerly.Also: yearn for, look forward to, desire, expect hopefully.
1 other meaning: envy
- 2to envy
- To feel envy towards someone or begrudge them something.Also: begrudge, covet.
“Tnúth” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Thnúth méI longed for | Níor thnúth méI did not long for | Ar thnúth mé?Did I long for? |
| tú (you) | Thnúth túYou longed for | Níor thnúth túYou did not long for | Ar thnúth tú?Did you long for? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thnúth sé / síHe longed for | Níor thnúth sé / síHe did not long for | Ar thnúth sé / sí?Did he long for? |
| sinn (we) | ThnúthamarWe longed for | Níor thnúthamarWe did not long for | Ar thnúthamar?Did we long for? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thnúth sibhYou longed for | Níor thnúth sibhYou did not long for | Ar thnúth sibh?Did you long for? |
| siad (they) | Thnúth siadThey longed for | Níor thnúth siadThey did not long for | Ar thnúth siad?Did they long for? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tnúthadh | Níor tnúthadh | Ar tnúthadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | TnúthaimI long for | Ní thnúthaimI do not long for | An dtnúthaim?Do I long for? |
| tú (you) | Tnúthann túYou long for | Ní thnúthann túYou do not long for | An dtnúthann tú?Do you long for? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tnúthann sé / síHe longs for | Ní thnúthann sé / síHe does not long for | An dtnúthann sé / sí?Does he long for? |
| sinn (we) | TnúthaimidWe long for | Ní thnúthaimidWe do not long for | An dtnúthaimid?Do we long for? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tnúthann sibhYou long for | Ní thnúthann sibhYou do not long for | An dtnúthann sibh?Do you long for? |
| siad (they) | Tnúthann siadThey long for | Ní thnúthann siadThey do not long for | An dtnúthann siad?Do they long for? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tnútar | Ní thnútar | An dtnútar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Tnúthfaidh méI will long for | Ní thnúthfaidh méI will not long for | An dtnúthfaidh mé?Will I long for? |
| tú (you) | Tnúthfaidh túYou will long for | Ní thnúthfaidh túYou will not long for | An dtnúthfaidh tú?Will you long for? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Tnúthfaidh sé / síHe will long for | Ní thnúthfaidh sé / síHe will not long for | An dtnúthfaidh sé / sí?Will he long for? |
| sinn (we) | TnúthfaimidWe will long for | Ní thnúthfaimidWe will not long for | An dtnúthfaimid?Will we long for? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Tnúthfaidh sibhYou will long for | Ní thnúthfaidh sibhYou will not long for | An dtnúthfaidh sibh?Will you long for? |
| siad (they) | Tnúthfaidh siadThey will long for | Ní thnúthfaidh siadThey will not long for | An dtnúthfaidh siad?Will they long for? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Tnúthfar | Ní thnúthfar | An dtnúthfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ThnúthfainnI would long for | Ní thnúthfainnI would not long for | An dtnúthfainn?Would I long for? |
| tú (you) | ThnúthfáYou would long for | Ní thnúthfáYou would not long for | An dtnúthfá?Would you long for? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Thnúthfadh sé / síHe would long for | Ní thnúthfadh sé / síHe would not long for | An dtnúthfadh sé / sí?Would he long for? |
| sinn (we) | ThnúthfaimisWe would long for | Ní thnúthfaimisWe would not long for | An dtnúthfaimis?Would we long for? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Thnúthfadh sibhYou would long for | Ní thnúthfadh sibhYou would not long for | An dtnúthfadh sibh?Would you long for? |
| siad (they) | ThnúthfaidísThey would long for | Ní thnúthfaidísThey would not long for | An dtnúthfaidís?Would they long for? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Thnúthfaí | Ní thnúthfaí | An dtnúthfaí? |
“Tnúth” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Thnúth sí le filleadh abhaile.
She longed to return home.
Tnúthann na páistí leis an samhradh.
The children look forward to the summer.
Tnúthfaidh siad le do chuairt.
They will look forward to your visit.
Thnúthfadh duine ar bith le saol mar sin.
Anyone would long for a life like that.
Níor thnúth mé leis an scrúdú.
I wasn't looking forward to the exam.
An bhfuil tú ag tnúth leis an tsaoire?
Are you looking forward to the holiday?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To long for in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to long for?
The Irish for to long for is tnúth (pronounced “t-noo”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is tnúth.
What is the verbal noun of tnúth?
The verbal noun of tnúth is tnúth, used after ag for the continuous: ag tnúth (longing for). The verbal adjective is tnúite.
How do you say tnúth in the past and the future?
Past: Thnúth mé; negative Níor thnúth mé; question Ar thnúth mé?. Future: Tnúthfaidh mé; negative Ní thnúthfaidh mé; question An dtnúthfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of tnúth?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Thnúthfainn (I would long for); negative Ní thnúthfainn; question An dtnúthfainn?.
Does tnúth have more than one meaning?
Yes. Tnúth can mean to long for or to envy, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Which preposition goes with 'tnúth'?
It takes 'le': 'tnúth le rud' means to long for or look forward to something. In everyday speech 'tá mé ag tnúth le' is the usual way to say 'I am looking forward to'.
