HeyRuaHow to say “to practise” in Irish
- Irish:
- cleacht
- English:
- to practise, do habitually, accustom
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cleachtadh (ag cleachtadh, practising)
- Verbal adjective:
- cleachta
- Pronunciation:
- “klyakht” /cʲlʲaxt̪ˠ/
What does “cleacht” mean?
“Cleacht” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to practise
- To do something regularly or repeatedly so as to get better at it, or to work at a profession or craft.Also: practice, rehearse, train, exercise.
2 other meanings: do habitually or accustom
- 2to do habitually
- To do something as a habit or custom.Also: make a habit of, be in the habit of.
- 3to accustom
- To make someone, or yourself, used to something.Also: get used to, become accustomed to, inure.
“Cleacht” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chleacht méI practised | Níor chleacht méI did not practise | Ar chleacht mé?Did I practise? |
| tú (you) | Chleacht túYou practised | Níor chleacht túYou did not practise | Ar chleacht tú?Did you practise? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chleacht sé / síHe practised | Níor chleacht sé / síHe did not practise | Ar chleacht sé / sí?Did he practise? |
| sinn (we) | ChleachtamarWe practised | Níor chleachtamarWe did not practise | Ar chleachtamar?Did we practise? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chleacht sibhYou practised | Níor chleacht sibhYou did not practise | Ar chleacht sibh?Did you practise? |
| siad (they) | Chleacht siadThey practised | Níor chleacht siadThey did not practise | Ar chleacht siad?Did they practise? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cleachtadh | Níor cleachtadh | Ar cleachtadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CleachtaimI practise | Ní chleachtaimI do not practise | An gcleachtaim?Do I practise? |
| tú (you) | Cleachtann túYou practise | Ní chleachtann túYou do not practise | An gcleachtann tú?Do you practise? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cleachtann sé / síHe practises | Ní chleachtann sé / síHe does not practise | An gcleachtann sé / sí?Does he practise? |
| sinn (we) | CleachtaimidWe practise | Ní chleachtaimidWe do not practise | An gcleachtaimid?Do we practise? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cleachtann sibhYou practise | Ní chleachtann sibhYou do not practise | An gcleachtann sibh?Do you practise? |
| siad (they) | Cleachtann siadThey practise | Ní chleachtann siadThey do not practise | An gcleachtann siad?Do they practise? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cleachtar | Ní chleachtar | An gcleachtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cleachtfaidh méI will practise | Ní chleachtfaidh méI will not practise | An gcleachtfaidh mé?Will I practise? |
| tú (you) | Cleachtfaidh túYou will practise | Ní chleachtfaidh túYou will not practise | An gcleachtfaidh tú?Will you practise? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cleachtfaidh sé / síHe will practise | Ní chleachtfaidh sé / síHe will not practise | An gcleachtfaidh sé / sí?Will he practise? |
| sinn (we) | CleachtfaimidWe will practise | Ní chleachtfaimidWe will not practise | An gcleachtfaimid?Will we practise? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cleachtfaidh sibhYou will practise | Ní chleachtfaidh sibhYou will not practise | An gcleachtfaidh sibh?Will you practise? |
| siad (they) | Cleachtfaidh siadThey will practise | Ní chleachtfaidh siadThey will not practise | An gcleachtfaidh siad?Will they practise? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cleachtfar | Ní chleachtfar | An gcleachtfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChleachtfainnI would practise | Ní chleachtfainnI would not practise | An gcleachtfainn?Would I practise? |
| tú (you) | ChleachtfáYou would practise | Ní chleachtfáYou would not practise | An gcleachtfá?Would you practise? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chleachtfadh sé / síHe would practise | Ní chleachtfadh sé / síHe would not practise | An gcleachtfadh sé / sí?Would he practise? |
| sinn (we) | ChleachtfaimisWe would practise | Ní chleachtfaimisWe would not practise | An gcleachtfaimis?Would we practise? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chleachtfadh sibhYou would practise | Ní chleachtfadh sibhYou would not practise | An gcleachtfadh sibh?Would you practise? |
| siad (they) | ChleachtfaidísThey would practise | Ní chleachtfaidísThey would not practise | An gcleachtfaidís?Would they practise? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chleachtfaí | Ní chleachtfaí | An gcleachtfaí? |
“Cleacht” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chleacht mé an pianó gach lá an tseachtain seo caite.
I practised the piano every day last week.
Cleachtann an fhoireann gach Máirt agus Déardaoin.
The team practises every Tuesday and Thursday.
Cleachtfaidh mé mo chuid Gaeilge le mo chairde.
I will practise my Irish with my friends.
Chleachtfainn níos minice dá mbeadh an t-am agam.
I would practise more often if I had the time.
Níor chleacht sé an dlí riamh.
He never practised law.
Ar chleacht tú an t-amhrán fós?
Have you practised the song yet?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To practise in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to practise?
The Irish for to practise is cleacht (pronounced “klyakht”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cleachtadh.
What is the verbal noun of cleacht?
The verbal noun of cleacht is cleachtadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag cleachtadh (practising). The verbal adjective is cleachta.
How do you say cleacht in the past and the future?
Past: Chleacht mé; negative Níor chleacht mé; question Ar chleacht mé?. Future: Cleachtfaidh mé; negative Ní chleachtfaidh mé; question An gcleachtfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cleacht?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chleachtfainn (I would practise); negative Ní chleachtfainn; question An gcleachtfainn?.
Does cleacht have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cleacht can mean to practise, to do habitually or to accustom, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'I am practising' in Irish?
Use the verbal noun: 'Tá mé ag cleachtadh', for example 'Tá mé ag cleachtadh na fidle'.
Is 'cleachtadh' also a noun?
Yes, 'cleachtadh' also means practice or experience, as in 'Níl aon chleachtadh agam air', I have no experience of it.
