HeyRuaHow to say “to rub” in Irish
- Irish:
- cuimil
- English:
- to rub, wipe, stroke
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- cuimilt (ag cuimilt, rubbing)
- Verbal adjective:
- cuimilte
- Pronunciation:
- “KIM-il” /ˈkɪmʲəlʲ/
What does “cuimil” mean?
“Cuimil” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to rub
- To move your hand or something else back and forth over a surface while pressing on it.Also: massage, chafe.
2 other meanings: wipe or stroke
- 2to wipe
- To clean or dry something by rubbing it with a cloth or your hand.Also: wipe off, dry.
- 3to stroke
- To pass your hand gently over something, such as an animal or a person.Also: pet, caress, fondle.
“Cuimil” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chuimil méI rubbed | Níor chuimil méI did not rub | Ar chuimil mé?Did I rub? |
| tú (you) | Chuimil túYou rubbed | Níor chuimil túYou did not rub | Ar chuimil tú?Did you rub? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chuimil sé / síHe rubbed | Níor chuimil sé / síHe did not rub | Ar chuimil sé / sí?Did he rub? |
| sinn (we) | ChuimlíomarWe rubbed | Níor chuimlíomarWe did not rub | Ar chuimlíomar?Did we rub? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chuimil sibhYou rubbed | Níor chuimil sibhYou did not rub | Ar chuimil sibh?Did you rub? |
| siad (they) | Chuimil siadThey rubbed | Níor chuimil siadThey did not rub | Ar chuimil siad?Did they rub? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cuimlíodh | Níor cuimlíodh | Ar cuimlíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CuimlímI rub | Ní chuimlímI do not rub | An gcuimlím?Do I rub? |
| tú (you) | Cuimlíonn túYou rub | Ní chuimlíonn túYou do not rub | An gcuimlíonn tú?Do you rub? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cuimlíonn sé / síHe rubs | Ní chuimlíonn sé / síHe does not rub | An gcuimlíonn sé / sí?Does he rub? |
| sinn (we) | CuimlímidWe rub | Ní chuimlímidWe do not rub | An gcuimlímid?Do we rub? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cuimlíonn sibhYou rub | Ní chuimlíonn sibhYou do not rub | An gcuimlíonn sibh?Do you rub? |
| siad (they) | Cuimlíonn siadThey rub | Ní chuimlíonn siadThey do not rub | An gcuimlíonn siad?Do they rub? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cuimlítear | Ní chuimlítear | An gcuimlítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cuimleoidh méI will rub | Ní chuimleoidh méI will not rub | An gcuimleoidh mé?Will I rub? |
| tú (you) | Cuimleoidh túYou will rub | Ní chuimleoidh túYou will not rub | An gcuimleoidh tú?Will you rub? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cuimleoidh sé / síHe will rub | Ní chuimleoidh sé / síHe will not rub | An gcuimleoidh sé / sí?Will he rub? |
| sinn (we) | CuimleoimidWe will rub | Ní chuimleoimidWe will not rub | An gcuimleoimid?Will we rub? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cuimleoidh sibhYou will rub | Ní chuimleoidh sibhYou will not rub | An gcuimleoidh sibh?Will you rub? |
| siad (they) | Cuimleoidh siadThey will rub | Ní chuimleoidh siadThey will not rub | An gcuimleoidh siad?Will they rub? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cuimleofar | Ní chuimleofar | An gcuimleofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChuimleoinnI would rub | Ní chuimleoinnI would not rub | An gcuimleoinn?Would I rub? |
| tú (you) | ChuimleofáYou would rub | Ní chuimleofáYou would not rub | An gcuimleofá?Would you rub? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chuimleodh sé / síHe would rub | Ní chuimleodh sé / síHe would not rub | An gcuimleodh sé / sí?Would he rub? |
| sinn (we) | ChuimleoimisWe would rub | Ní chuimleoimisWe would not rub | An gcuimleoimis?Would we rub? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chuimleodh sibhYou would rub | Ní chuimleodh sibhYou would not rub | An gcuimleodh sibh?Would you rub? |
| siad (they) | ChuimleoidísThey would rub | Ní chuimleoidísThey would not rub | An gcuimleoidís?Would they rub? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chuimleofaí | Ní chuimleofaí | An gcuimleofaí? |
“Cuimil” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chuimil sé a shúile go tuirseach.
He rubbed his eyes wearily.
Cuimlíonn sí uachtar dá lámha gach oíche.
She rubs cream on her hands every night.
Cuimleoidh mé an bord le héadach fliuch.
I will wipe the table with a wet cloth.
Chuimil an cat é féin de mo chos.
The cat rubbed itself against my leg.
Ná cuimil an cat, ní maith leis é.
Don't stroke the cat, he doesn't like it.
Ar chuimil tú an salachar den fhuinneog?
Did you wipe the dirt off the window?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To rub in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to rub?
The Irish for to rub is cuimil (pronounced “KIM-il”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is cuimilt.
What is the verbal noun of cuimil?
The verbal noun of cuimil is cuimilt, used after ag for the continuous: ag cuimilt (rubbing). The verbal adjective is cuimilte.
How do you say cuimil in the past and the future?
Past: Chuimil mé; negative Níor chuimil mé; question Ar chuimil mé?. Future: Cuimleoidh mé; negative Ní chuimleoidh mé; question An gcuimleoidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of cuimil?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chuimleoinn (I would rub); negative Ní chuimleoinn; question An gcuimleoinn?.
Does cuimil have more than one meaning?
Yes. Cuimil can mean to rub, to wipe or to stroke, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Which preposition goes with 'cuimil' when rubbing something onto or off something?
Use 'de' (or 'do'): 'Chuimil sé an láib dá bhróga' means he wiped the mud off his shoes, and 'cuimil d'éadan é' means rub it on your face.
