HeyRuaHow to say “to lose” in Irish
- Irish:
- caill
- English:
- to lose, die, miss
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cailleadh (ag cailleadh, losing)
- Verbal adjective:
- caillte
- Pronunciation:
- “kal” /kalʲ/
What does “caill” mean?
“Caill” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to lose
- To no longer have something, or to be unable to find it.Also: mislay, misplace.
3 other meanings: die or miss
- 2to lose
- To be defeated in a game, contest or match.Also: be defeated, be beaten.
- 3to die
- In the autonomous form 'cailleadh', a person died or passed away.Also: pass away, be lost.
- 4to miss
- To fail to catch or take part in something, such as a bus or a chance.Also: fail to catch.
“Caill” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chaill méI lost | Níor chaill méI did not lose | Ar chaill mé?Did I lose? |
| tú (you) | Chaill túYou lost | Níor chaill túYou did not lose | Ar chaill tú?Did you lose? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chaill sé / síHe lost | Níor chaill sé / síHe did not lose | Ar chaill sé / sí?Did he lose? |
| sinn (we) | ChailleamarWe lost | Níor chailleamarWe did not lose | Ar chailleamar?Did we lose? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chaill sibhYou lost | Níor chaill sibhYou did not lose | Ar chaill sibh?Did you lose? |
| siad (they) | Chaill siadThey lost | Níor chaill siadThey did not lose | Ar chaill siad?Did they lose? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cailleadh | Níor cailleadh | Ar cailleadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CaillimI lose | Ní chaillimI do not lose | An gcaillim?Do I lose? |
| tú (you) | Cailleann túYou lose | Ní chailleann túYou do not lose | An gcailleann tú?Do you lose? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cailleann sé / síHe loses | Ní chailleann sé / síHe does not lose | An gcailleann sé / sí?Does he lose? |
| sinn (we) | CaillimidWe lose | Ní chaillimidWe do not lose | An gcaillimid?Do we lose? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cailleann sibhYou lose | Ní chailleann sibhYou do not lose | An gcailleann sibh?Do you lose? |
| siad (they) | Cailleann siadThey lose | Ní chailleann siadThey do not lose | An gcailleann siad?Do they lose? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cailltear | Ní chailltear | An gcailltear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Caillfidh méI will lose | Ní chaillfidh méI will not lose | An gcaillfidh mé?Will I lose? |
| tú (you) | Caillfidh túYou will lose | Ní chaillfidh túYou will not lose | An gcaillfidh tú?Will you lose? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Caillfidh sé / síHe will lose | Ní chaillfidh sé / síHe will not lose | An gcaillfidh sé / sí?Will he lose? |
| sinn (we) | CaillfimidWe will lose | Ní chaillfimidWe will not lose | An gcaillfimid?Will we lose? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Caillfidh sibhYou will lose | Ní chaillfidh sibhYou will not lose | An gcaillfidh sibh?Will you lose? |
| siad (they) | Caillfidh siadThey will lose | Ní chaillfidh siadThey will not lose | An gcaillfidh siad?Will they lose? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caillfear | Ní chaillfear | An gcaillfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChaillfinnI would lose | Ní chaillfinnI would not lose | An gcaillfinn?Would I lose? |
| tú (you) | ChaillfeáYou would lose | Ní chaillfeáYou would not lose | An gcaillfeá?Would you lose? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chaillfeadh sé / síHe would lose | Ní chaillfeadh sé / síHe would not lose | An gcaillfeadh sé / sí?Would he lose? |
| sinn (we) | ChaillfimisWe would lose | Ní chaillfimisWe would not lose | An gcaillfimis?Would we lose? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chaillfeadh sibhYou would lose | Ní chaillfeadh sibhYou would not lose | An gcaillfeadh sibh?Would you lose? |
| siad (they) | ChaillfidísThey would lose | Ní chaillfidísThey would not lose | An gcaillfidís?Would they lose? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chaillfí | Ní chaillfí | An gcaillfí? |
“Caill” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chaill mé an t-airgead go léir.
I lost all the money.
Cailleann sé a eochracha gach seachtain.
He loses his keys every week.
Caillfidh siad an cluiche má leanann siad mar seo.
They will lose the match if they carry on like this.
Chaillfinn mo phost dá ndéanfainn é sin.
I would lose my job if I did that.
Níor chaill sí a misneach riamh.
She never lost her courage.
Ar chaill tú do phas?
Did you lose your passport?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To lose in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to lose?
The Irish for to lose is caill (pronounced “kal”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cailleadh.
What is the verbal noun of caill?
The verbal noun of caill is cailleadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag cailleadh (losing). The verbal adjective is caillte.
How do you say caill in the past and the future?
Past: Chaill mé; negative Níor chaill mé; question Ar chaill mé?. Future: Caillfidh mé; negative Ní chaillfidh mé; question An gcaillfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of caill?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chaillfinn (I would lose); negative Ní chaillfinn; question An gcaillfinn?.
Does caill have more than one meaning?
Yes. Caill can mean to lose, to die or to miss, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do you say someone died using 'caill'?
Use the past autonomous: 'Cailleadh a athair anuraidh' means his father died last year.
What does 'Níl caill air' mean?
It means it's not bad; 'Níl caill orm' is a common reply meaning I'm not bad.
