HeyRuaHow to say “to plunder” in Irish
- Irish:
- creach
- English:
- to plunder, ruin, cauterize
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- creachadh (ag creachadh, plundering)
- Verbal adjective:
- creachta
- Pronunciation:
- “krakh” /cɾʲax/
What does “creach” mean?
“Creach” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to plunder
- To rob a place or people violently, taking goods and cattle by force.Also: pillage, loot, raid, sack.
2 other meanings: ruin or cauterize
- 2to ruin
- To bring someone to financial ruin or leave them destitute.Also: bankrupt, impoverish, fleece.
- 3to cauterize
- To burn a wound or flesh in order to seal or treat it.Also: sear, brand.
“Creach” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chreach méI plundered | Níor chreach méI did not plunder | Ar chreach mé?Did I plunder? |
| tú (you) | Chreach túYou plundered | Níor chreach túYou did not plunder | Ar chreach tú?Did you plunder? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chreach sé / síHe plundered | Níor chreach sé / síHe did not plunder | Ar chreach sé / sí?Did he plunder? |
| sinn (we) | ChreachamarWe plundered | Níor chreachamarWe did not plunder | Ar chreachamar?Did we plunder? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chreach sibhYou plundered | Níor chreach sibhYou did not plunder | Ar chreach sibh?Did you plunder? |
| siad (they) | Chreach siadThey plundered | Níor chreach siadThey did not plunder | Ar chreach siad?Did they plunder? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Creachadh | Níor creachadh | Ar creachadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CreachaimI plunder | Ní chreachaimI do not plunder | An gcreachaim?Do I plunder? |
| tú (you) | Creachann túYou plunder | Ní chreachann túYou do not plunder | An gcreachann tú?Do you plunder? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Creachann sé / síHe plunders | Ní chreachann sé / síHe does not plunder | An gcreachann sé / sí?Does he plunder? |
| sinn (we) | CreachaimidWe plunder | Ní chreachaimidWe do not plunder | An gcreachaimid?Do we plunder? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Creachann sibhYou plunder | Ní chreachann sibhYou do not plunder | An gcreachann sibh?Do you plunder? |
| siad (they) | Creachann siadThey plunder | Ní chreachann siadThey do not plunder | An gcreachann siad?Do they plunder? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Creachtar | Ní chreachtar | An gcreachtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Creachfaidh méI will plunder | Ní chreachfaidh méI will not plunder | An gcreachfaidh mé?Will I plunder? |
| tú (you) | Creachfaidh túYou will plunder | Ní chreachfaidh túYou will not plunder | An gcreachfaidh tú?Will you plunder? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Creachfaidh sé / síHe will plunder | Ní chreachfaidh sé / síHe will not plunder | An gcreachfaidh sé / sí?Will he plunder? |
| sinn (we) | CreachfaimidWe will plunder | Ní chreachfaimidWe will not plunder | An gcreachfaimid?Will we plunder? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Creachfaidh sibhYou will plunder | Ní chreachfaidh sibhYou will not plunder | An gcreachfaidh sibh?Will you plunder? |
| siad (they) | Creachfaidh siadThey will plunder | Ní chreachfaidh siadThey will not plunder | An gcreachfaidh siad?Will they plunder? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Creachfar | Ní chreachfar | An gcreachfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChreachfainnI would plunder | Ní chreachfainnI would not plunder | An gcreachfainn?Would I plunder? |
| tú (you) | ChreachfáYou would plunder | Ní chreachfáYou would not plunder | An gcreachfá?Would you plunder? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chreachfadh sé / síHe would plunder | Ní chreachfadh sé / síHe would not plunder | An gcreachfadh sé / sí?Would he plunder? |
| sinn (we) | ChreachfaimisWe would plunder | Ní chreachfaimisWe would not plunder | An gcreachfaimis?Would we plunder? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chreachfadh sibhYou would plunder | Ní chreachfadh sibhYou would not plunder | An gcreachfadh sibh?Would you plunder? |
| siad (they) | ChreachfaidísThey would plunder | Ní chreachfaidísThey would not plunder | An gcreachfaidís?Would they plunder? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chreachfaí | Ní chreachfaí | An gcreachfaí? |
“Creach” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chreach na Lochlannaigh an mhainistir fadó.
The Vikings plundered the monastery long ago.
Creachann na robálaithe na feirmeacha san oíche.
The robbers raid the farms at night.
Creachfaidh an cearrbhachas é ar deireadh.
Gambling will ruin him in the end.
Chreachfadh an t-arm an baile dá mbeadh deis acu.
The army would sack the town if they had the chance.
Níor creachadh an séipéal le linn an chogaidh.
The church was not plundered during the war.
Ar chreach siad an siopa aréir?
Did they loot the shop last night?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To plunder in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to plunder?
The Irish for to plunder is creach (pronounced “krakh”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is creachadh.
What is the verbal noun of creach?
The verbal noun of creach is creachadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag creachadh (plundering). The verbal adjective is creachta.
How do you say creach in the past and the future?
Past: Chreach mé; negative Níor chreach mé; question Ar chreach mé?. Future: Creachfaidh mé; negative Ní chreachfaidh mé; question An gcreachfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of creach?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chreachfainn (I would plunder); negative Ní chreachfainn; question An gcreachfainn?.
Does creach have more than one meaning?
Yes. Creach can mean to plunder, to ruin or to cauterize, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What does 'mo chreach' mean, and is it from this verb?
'Mo chreach' means 'alas' or 'woe is me'; it uses the noun 'creach' (plunder, ruin), closely related to the verb 'creach'.
How is 'creach' different from 'goid'?
'Goid' means to steal quietly, while 'creach' means to plunder or raid by force, as in 'chreach siad an baile'.
