HeyRuaHow to say “to oil” in Irish
- Irish:
- olaigh
- English:
- to oil, anoint
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- olú (ag olú, oiling)
- Verbal adjective:
- olaithe
- Pronunciation:
- “OL-ee” /ˈolˠiː/
What does “olaigh” mean?
“Olaigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to oil
- To put oil on something, for example to make a machine run smoothly.Also: lubricate, grease.
1 other meaning: anoint
- 2to anoint
- To put holy oil on a person as part of a religious ceremony.Also: oil.
“Olaigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'olaigh méI oiled | Níor olaigh méI did not oil | Ar olaigh mé?Did I oil? |
| tú (you) | D'olaigh túYou oiled | Níor olaigh túYou did not oil | Ar olaigh tú?Did you oil? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'olaigh sé / síHe oiled | Níor olaigh sé / síHe did not oil | Ar olaigh sé / sí?Did he oil? |
| sinn (we) | D'olaíomarWe oiled | Níor olaíomarWe did not oil | Ar olaíomar?Did we oil? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'olaigh sibhYou oiled | Níor olaigh sibhYou did not oil | Ar olaigh sibh?Did you oil? |
| siad (they) | D'olaigh siadThey oiled | Níor olaigh siadThey did not oil | Ar olaigh siad?Did they oil? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Olaíodh | Níor olaíodh | Ar olaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | OlaímI oil | Ní olaímI do not oil | An olaím?Do I oil? |
| tú (you) | Olaíonn túYou oil | Ní olaíonn túYou do not oil | An olaíonn tú?Do you oil? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Olaíonn sé / síHe oils | Ní olaíonn sé / síHe does not oil | An olaíonn sé / sí?Does he oil? |
| sinn (we) | OlaímidWe oil | Ní olaímidWe do not oil | An olaímid?Do we oil? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Olaíonn sibhYou oil | Ní olaíonn sibhYou do not oil | An olaíonn sibh?Do you oil? |
| siad (they) | Olaíonn siadThey oil | Ní olaíonn siadThey do not oil | An olaíonn siad?Do they oil? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Olaítear | Ní olaítear | An olaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Olóidh méI will oil | Ní olóidh méI will not oil | An olóidh mé?Will I oil? |
| tú (you) | Olóidh túYou will oil | Ní olóidh túYou will not oil | An olóidh tú?Will you oil? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Olóidh sé / síHe will oil | Ní olóidh sé / síHe will not oil | An olóidh sé / sí?Will he oil? |
| sinn (we) | OlóimidWe will oil | Ní olóimidWe will not oil | An olóimid?Will we oil? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Olóidh sibhYou will oil | Ní olóidh sibhYou will not oil | An olóidh sibh?Will you oil? |
| siad (they) | Olóidh siadThey will oil | Ní olóidh siadThey will not oil | An olóidh siad?Will they oil? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Olófar | Ní olófar | An olófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'olóinnI would oil | Ní olóinnI would not oil | An olóinn?Would I oil? |
| tú (you) | D'olófáYou would oil | Ní olófáYou would not oil | An olófá?Would you oil? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'olódh sé / síHe would oil | Ní olódh sé / síHe would not oil | An olódh sé / sí?Would he oil? |
| sinn (we) | D'olóimisWe would oil | Ní olóimisWe would not oil | An olóimis?Would we oil? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'olódh sibhYou would oil | Ní olódh sibhYou would not oil | An olódh sibh?Would you oil? |
| siad (they) | D'olóidísThey would oil | Ní olóidísThey would not oil | An olóidís?Would they oil? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'olófaí | Ní olófaí | An olófaí? |
“Olaigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
D'olaigh sé slabhra an rothair inné.
He oiled the bicycle chain yesterday.
Olaíonn sí an doras gach geimhreadh.
She oils the door every winter.
Olóidh mé an t-inneall amárach.
I will oil the engine tomorrow.
D'olódh sé na hinsí dá mbeadh ola aige.
He would oil the hinges if he had oil.
Níor olaigh siad an meaisín riamh.
They never oiled the machine.
Ar olaigh tú an glas fós?
Did you oil the lock yet?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To oil in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to oil?
The Irish for to oil is olaigh (pronounced “OL-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is olú.
What is the verbal noun of olaigh?
The verbal noun of olaigh is olú, used after ag for the continuous: ag olú (oiling). The verbal adjective is olaithe.
How do you say olaigh in the past and the future?
Past: D'olaigh mé; negative Níor olaigh mé; question Ar olaigh mé?. Future: Olóidh mé; negative Ní olóidh mé; question An olóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of olaigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'olóinn (I would oil); negative Ní olóinn; question An olóinn?.
Does olaigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Olaigh can mean to oil or to anoint, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Is there another verb for lubricating something?
Yes, 'bealaigh' (verbal noun 'bealú') also means to grease or lubricate, while 'olaigh' specifically means to apply oil.
