HeyRuaHow to say “to make thin” in Irish
- Irish:
- caolaigh
- English:
- to make thin, dilute, palatalise
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- caolú (ag caolú, making thin)
- Verbal adjective:
- caolaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KWEEL-ee” /ˈkiːlʲiː/
What does “caolaigh” mean?
“Caolaigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to make thin
- To make something thinner or narrower, or to become thinner.Also: thin, narrow, slim, taper.
2 other meanings: dilute or palatalise
- 2to dilute
- To make a liquid weaker by adding water or another liquid.Also: water down, thin down, weaken.
- 3to palatalise
- In grammar, to make a consonant slender, for example by inserting an i in the spelling.Also: attenuate, make slender.
“Caolaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chaolaigh méI made thin | Níor chaolaigh méI did not make thin | Ar chaolaigh mé?Did I make thin? |
| tú (you) | Chaolaigh túYou made thin | Níor chaolaigh túYou did not make thin | Ar chaolaigh tú?Did you make thin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chaolaigh sé / síHe made thin | Níor chaolaigh sé / síHe did not make thin | Ar chaolaigh sé / sí?Did he make thin? |
| sinn (we) | ChaolaíomarWe made thin | Níor chaolaíomarWe did not make thin | Ar chaolaíomar?Did we make thin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chaolaigh sibhYou made thin | Níor chaolaigh sibhYou did not make thin | Ar chaolaigh sibh?Did you make thin? |
| siad (they) | Chaolaigh siadThey made thin | Níor chaolaigh siadThey did not make thin | Ar chaolaigh siad?Did they make thin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caolaíodh | Níor caolaíodh | Ar caolaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CaolaímI make thin | Ní chaolaímI do not make thin | An gcaolaím?Do I make thin? |
| tú (you) | Caolaíonn túYou make thin | Ní chaolaíonn túYou do not make thin | An gcaolaíonn tú?Do you make thin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Caolaíonn sé / síHe makes thin | Ní chaolaíonn sé / síHe does not make thin | An gcaolaíonn sé / sí?Does he make thin? |
| sinn (we) | CaolaímidWe make thin | Ní chaolaímidWe do not make thin | An gcaolaímid?Do we make thin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Caolaíonn sibhYou make thin | Ní chaolaíonn sibhYou do not make thin | An gcaolaíonn sibh?Do you make thin? |
| siad (they) | Caolaíonn siadThey make thin | Ní chaolaíonn siadThey do not make thin | An gcaolaíonn siad?Do they make thin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caolaítear | Ní chaolaítear | An gcaolaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Caolóidh méI will make thin | Ní chaolóidh méI will not make thin | An gcaolóidh mé?Will I make thin? |
| tú (you) | Caolóidh túYou will make thin | Ní chaolóidh túYou will not make thin | An gcaolóidh tú?Will you make thin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Caolóidh sé / síHe will make thin | Ní chaolóidh sé / síHe will not make thin | An gcaolóidh sé / sí?Will he make thin? |
| sinn (we) | CaolóimidWe will make thin | Ní chaolóimidWe will not make thin | An gcaolóimid?Will we make thin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Caolóidh sibhYou will make thin | Ní chaolóidh sibhYou will not make thin | An gcaolóidh sibh?Will you make thin? |
| siad (they) | Caolóidh siadThey will make thin | Ní chaolóidh siadThey will not make thin | An gcaolóidh siad?Will they make thin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Caolófar | Ní chaolófar | An gcaolófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChaolóinnI would make thin | Ní chaolóinnI would not make thin | An gcaolóinn?Would I make thin? |
| tú (you) | ChaolófáYou would make thin | Ní chaolófáYou would not make thin | An gcaolófá?Would you make thin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chaolódh sé / síHe would make thin | Ní chaolódh sé / síHe would not make thin | An gcaolódh sé / sí?Would he make thin? |
| sinn (we) | ChaolóimisWe would make thin | Ní chaolóimisWe would not make thin | An gcaolóimis?Would we make thin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chaolódh sibhYou would make thin | Ní chaolódh sibhYou would not make thin | An gcaolódh sibh?Would you make thin? |
| siad (they) | ChaolóidísThey would make thin | Ní chaolóidísThey would not make thin | An gcaolóidís?Would they make thin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chaolófaí | Ní chaolófaí | An gcaolófaí? |
“Caolaigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chaolaigh sí an phéint le beagán uisce.
She thinned the paint with a little water.
Caolaíonn an bóthar ag barr an chnoic.
The road narrows at the top of the hill.
Caolóidh mé an sú don leanbh.
I will dilute the juice for the child.
Chaolódh sé an fuisce le beagán uisce.
He would dilute the whiskey with a little water.
Níor chaolaigh siad an bainne riamh.
They never watered down the milk.
Ar chaolaigh tú an consan deiridh?
Did you make the final consonant slender?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To make thin in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to make thin?
The Irish for to make thin is caolaigh (pronounced “KWEEL-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is caolú.
What is the verbal noun of caolaigh?
The verbal noun of caolaigh is caolú, used after ag for the continuous: ag caolú (making thin). The verbal adjective is caolaithe.
How do you say caolaigh in the past and the future?
Past: Chaolaigh mé; negative Níor chaolaigh mé; question Ar chaolaigh mé?. Future: Caolóidh mé; negative Ní chaolóidh mé; question An gcaolóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of caolaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chaolóinn (I would make thin); negative Ní chaolóinn; question An gcaolóinn?.
Does caolaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Caolaigh can mean to make thin, to dilute or to palatalise, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the opposite of 'caolaigh' in grammar?
The opposite is 'leathnaigh', to make a consonant broad; 'caolú' is slenderisation and 'leathnú' is broadening.
