HeyRuaHow to say “to poison” in Irish
- Irish:
- nimhigh
- English:
- to poison, embitter
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- nimhiú (ag nimhiú, poisoning)
- Verbal adjective:
- nimhithe
- Pronunciation:
- “NIV-ee” /ˈnʲɪvʲiː/
What does “nimhigh” mean?
“Nimhigh” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to poison
- To give poison to a person or animal, or put poison in something.Also: envenom, contaminate.
1 other meaning: embitter
- 2to embitter
- To make a person or situation bitter or spiteful, figuratively poisoning it.Also: poison, envenom.
“Nimhigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Nimhigh méI poisoned | Níor nimhigh méI did not poison | Ar nimhigh mé?Did I poison? |
| tú (you) | Nimhigh túYou poisoned | Níor nimhigh túYou did not poison | Ar nimhigh tú?Did you poison? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Nimhigh sé / síHe poisoned | Níor nimhigh sé / síHe did not poison | Ar nimhigh sé / sí?Did he poison? |
| sinn (we) | NimhíomarWe poisoned | Níor nimhíomarWe did not poison | Ar nimhíomar?Did we poison? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Nimhigh sibhYou poisoned | Níor nimhigh sibhYou did not poison | Ar nimhigh sibh?Did you poison? |
| siad (they) | Nimhigh siadThey poisoned | Níor nimhigh siadThey did not poison | Ar nimhigh siad?Did they poison? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Nimhíodh | Níor nimhíodh | Ar nimhíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | NimhímI poison | Ní nimhímI do not poison | An nimhím?Do I poison? |
| tú (you) | Nimhíonn túYou poison | Ní nimhíonn túYou do not poison | An nimhíonn tú?Do you poison? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Nimhíonn sé / síHe poisons | Ní nimhíonn sé / síHe does not poison | An nimhíonn sé / sí?Does he poison? |
| sinn (we) | NimhímidWe poison | Ní nimhímidWe do not poison | An nimhímid?Do we poison? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Nimhíonn sibhYou poison | Ní nimhíonn sibhYou do not poison | An nimhíonn sibh?Do you poison? |
| siad (they) | Nimhíonn siadThey poison | Ní nimhíonn siadThey do not poison | An nimhíonn siad?Do they poison? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Nimhítear | Ní nimhítear | An nimhítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Nimheoidh méI will poison | Ní nimheoidh méI will not poison | An nimheoidh mé?Will I poison? |
| tú (you) | Nimheoidh túYou will poison | Ní nimheoidh túYou will not poison | An nimheoidh tú?Will you poison? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Nimheoidh sé / síHe will poison | Ní nimheoidh sé / síHe will not poison | An nimheoidh sé / sí?Will he poison? |
| sinn (we) | NimheoimidWe will poison | Ní nimheoimidWe will not poison | An nimheoimid?Will we poison? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Nimheoidh sibhYou will poison | Ní nimheoidh sibhYou will not poison | An nimheoidh sibh?Will you poison? |
| siad (they) | Nimheoidh siadThey will poison | Ní nimheoidh siadThey will not poison | An nimheoidh siad?Will they poison? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Nimheofar | Ní nimheofar | An nimheofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | NimheoinnI would poison | Ní nimheoinnI would not poison | An nimheoinn?Would I poison? |
| tú (you) | NimheofáYou would poison | Ní nimheofáYou would not poison | An nimheofá?Would you poison? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Nimheodh sé / síHe would poison | Ní nimheodh sé / síHe would not poison | An nimheodh sé / sí?Would he poison? |
| sinn (we) | NimheoimisWe would poison | Ní nimheoimisWe would not poison | An nimheoimis?Would we poison? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Nimheodh sibhYou would poison | Ní nimheodh sibhYou would not poison | An nimheodh sibh?Would you poison? |
| siad (they) | NimheoidísThey would poison | Ní nimheoidísThey would not poison | An nimheoidís?Would they poison? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Nimheofaí | Ní nimheofaí | An nimheofaí? |
“Nimhigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Nimhigh duine éigin an madra.
Someone poisoned the dog.
Nimhíonn an ceimiceán sin na héisc san abhainn.
That chemical poisons the fish in the river.
Nimheoidh an t-uisce salach na hainmhithe.
The dirty water will poison the animals.
Nimheodh na beacáin sin thú.
Those mushrooms would poison you.
Níor nimhigh sé aon duine riamh.
He never poisoned anyone.
Ar nimhíodh an rí?
Was the king poisoned?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To poison in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to poison?
The Irish for to poison is nimhigh (pronounced “NIV-ee”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is nimhiú.
What is the verbal noun of nimhigh?
The verbal noun of nimhigh is nimhiú, used after ag for the continuous: ag nimhiú (poisoning). The verbal adjective is nimhithe.
How do you say nimhigh in the past and the future?
Past: Nimhigh mé; negative Níor nimhigh mé; question Ar nimhigh mé?. Future: Nimheoidh mé; negative Ní nimheoidh mé; question An nimheoidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of nimhigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Nimheoinn (I would poison); negative Ní nimheoinn; question An nimheoinn?.
Does nimhigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Nimhigh can mean to poison or to embitter, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the noun for poison?
The noun is "nimh" (poison, venom), and "nimhneach" means poisonous or painful.
