HeyRuaHow to say “to pollute” in Irish
- Irish:
- bréan
- English:
- to pollute, putrefy, sicken
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- bréanadh (ag bréanadh, polluting)
- Verbal adjective:
- bréanta
- Pronunciation:
- “brayn” /bʲɾʲeːnˠ/
What does “bréan” mean?
“Bréan” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to pollute
- To make something dirty, foul or contaminated, such as water or air.Also: foul, contaminate, befoul.
2 other meanings: putrefy or sicken
- 2to putrefy
- To go rotten and start to smell bad.Also: rot, go bad, become foul, stink.
- 3to sicken
- To make someone fed up or disgusted with something (often 'bréan de', be sick of).Also: disgust, make fed up.
Other Irish verbs for to pollute: truailligh (pollute)
“Bréan” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Bhréan méI polluted | Níor bhréan méI did not pollute | Ar bhréan mé?Did I pollute? |
| tú (you) | Bhréan túYou polluted | Níor bhréan túYou did not pollute | Ar bhréan tú?Did you pollute? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhréan sé / síHe polluted | Níor bhréan sé / síHe did not pollute | Ar bhréan sé / sí?Did he pollute? |
| sinn (we) | BhréanamarWe polluted | Níor bhréanamarWe did not pollute | Ar bhréanamar?Did we pollute? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhréan sibhYou polluted | Níor bhréan sibhYou did not pollute | Ar bhréan sibh?Did you pollute? |
| siad (they) | Bhréan siadThey polluted | Níor bhréan siadThey did not pollute | Ar bhréan siad?Did they pollute? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bréanadh | Níor bréanadh | Ar bréanadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BréanaimI pollute | Ní bhréanaimI do not pollute | An mbréanaim?Do I pollute? |
| tú (you) | Bréanann túYou pollute | Ní bhréanann túYou do not pollute | An mbréanann tú?Do you pollute? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bréanann sé / síHe pollutes | Ní bhréanann sé / síHe does not pollute | An mbréanann sé / sí?Does he pollute? |
| sinn (we) | BréanaimidWe pollute | Ní bhréanaimidWe do not pollute | An mbréanaimid?Do we pollute? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bréanann sibhYou pollute | Ní bhréanann sibhYou do not pollute | An mbréanann sibh?Do you pollute? |
| siad (they) | Bréanann siadThey pollute | Ní bhréanann siadThey do not pollute | An mbréanann siad?Do they pollute? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bréantar | Ní bhréantar | An mbréantar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Bréanfaidh méI will pollute | Ní bhréanfaidh méI will not pollute | An mbréanfaidh mé?Will I pollute? |
| tú (you) | Bréanfaidh túYou will pollute | Ní bhréanfaidh túYou will not pollute | An mbréanfaidh tú?Will you pollute? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bréanfaidh sé / síHe will pollute | Ní bhréanfaidh sé / síHe will not pollute | An mbréanfaidh sé / sí?Will he pollute? |
| sinn (we) | BréanfaimidWe will pollute | Ní bhréanfaimidWe will not pollute | An mbréanfaimid?Will we pollute? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bréanfaidh sibhYou will pollute | Ní bhréanfaidh sibhYou will not pollute | An mbréanfaidh sibh?Will you pollute? |
| siad (they) | Bréanfaidh siadThey will pollute | Ní bhréanfaidh siadThey will not pollute | An mbréanfaidh siad?Will they pollute? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bréanfar | Ní bhréanfar | An mbréanfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BhréanfainnI would pollute | Ní bhréanfainnI would not pollute | An mbréanfainn?Would I pollute? |
| tú (you) | BhréanfáYou would pollute | Ní bhréanfáYou would not pollute | An mbréanfá?Would you pollute? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhréanfadh sé / síHe would pollute | Ní bhréanfadh sé / síHe would not pollute | An mbréanfadh sé / sí?Would he pollute? |
| sinn (we) | BhréanfaimisWe would pollute | Ní bhréanfaimisWe would not pollute | An mbréanfaimis?Would we pollute? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhréanfadh sibhYou would pollute | Ní bhréanfadh sibhYou would not pollute | An mbréanfadh sibh?Would you pollute? |
| siad (they) | BhréanfaidísThey would pollute | Ní bhréanfaidísThey would not pollute | An mbréanfaidís?Would they pollute? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bhréanfaí | Ní bhréanfaí | An mbréanfaí? |
“Bréan” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To pollute in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to pollute?
The Irish for to pollute is bréan (pronounced “brayn”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is bréanadh.
What is the verbal noun of bréan?
The verbal noun of bréan is bréanadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag bréanadh (polluting). The verbal adjective is bréanta.
How do you say bréan in the past and the future?
Past: Bhréan mé; negative Níor bhréan mé; question Ar bhréan mé?. Future: Bréanfaidh mé; negative Ní bhréanfaidh mé; question An mbréanfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of bréan?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Bhréanfainn (I would pollute); negative Ní bhréanfainn; question An mbréanfainn?.
Does bréan have more than one meaning?
Yes. Bréan can mean to pollute, to putrefy or to sicken, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'bréan' and 'truailligh'?
'Truailligh' is the usual word for environmental pollution, as in 'truailliú aeir' (air pollution); 'bréan' stresses making something foul or stinking.
Is 'bréan' also an adjective?
Yes, 'bréan' commonly means foul or rotten, as in 'boladh bréan' (a foul smell), and 'tá mé bréan de' means I am sick of it.
