HeyRuaHow to say “to say” in Irish
- Irish:
- abair
- English:
- to say, sing, tell, mean
- Word type:
- verb, irregular
- Verbal noun:
- rá (ag rá, saying)
- Verbal adjective:
- ráite
- Pronunciation:
- “AB-er” /ˈabˠəɾʲ/
What does “abair” mean?
“Abair” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to say
- To speak words or express something in speech.Also: tell, utter, state.
3 other meanings: sing or tell or mean
- 2to sing
- To sing or recite a song, poem or prayer.Also: recite, say a prayer.
- 3to tell
- To tell someone to do something, used with 'le'.Also: order, instruct.
- 4to mean
- To mean or refer to something when speaking.Also: refer to, suppose.
“Abair” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Irregular verb. Abair is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Dúirt méI said | Ní dúirt méI did not say | An ndúirt mé?Did I say? |
| tú (you) | Dúirt túYou said | Ní dúirt túYou did not say | An ndúirt tú?Did you say? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Dúirt sé / síHe said | Ní dúirt sé / síHe did not say | An ndúirt sé / sí?Did he say? |
| sinn (we) | DúramarWe said | Ní dúramarWe did not say | An ndúramar?Did we say? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Dúirt sibhYou said | Ní dúirt sibhYou did not say | An ndúirt sibh?Did you say? |
| siad (they) | Dúirt siadThey said | Ní dúirt siadThey did not say | An ndúirt siad?Did they say? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Dúradh | Ní dúradh | An ndúradh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DeirimI say | Ní deirimI do not say | An ndeirim?Do I say? |
| tú (you) | Deir túYou say | Ní deir túYou do not say | An ndeir tú?Do you say? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Deir sé / síHe says | Ní deir sé / síHe does not say | An ndeir sé / sí?Does he say? |
| sinn (we) | DeirimidWe say | Ní deirimidWe do not say | An ndeirimid?Do we say? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Deir sibhYou say | Ní deir sibhYou do not say | An ndeir sibh?Do you say? |
| siad (they) | Deir siadThey say | Ní deir siadThey do not say | An ndeir siad?Do they say? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Deirtear | Ní deirtear | An ndeirtear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Déarfaidh méI will say | Ní déarfaidh méI will not say | An ndéarfaidh mé?Will I say? |
| tú (you) | Déarfaidh túYou will say | Ní déarfaidh túYou will not say | An ndéarfaidh tú?Will you say? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Déarfaidh sé / síHe will say | Ní déarfaidh sé / síHe will not say | An ndéarfaidh sé / sí?Will he say? |
| sinn (we) | DéarfaimidWe will say | Ní déarfaimidWe will not say | An ndéarfaimid?Will we say? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Déarfaidh sibhYou will say | Ní déarfaidh sibhYou will not say | An ndéarfaidh sibh?Will you say? |
| siad (they) | Déarfaidh siadThey will say | Ní déarfaidh siadThey will not say | An ndéarfaidh siad?Will they say? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Déarfar | Ní déarfar | An ndéarfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | DéarfainnI would say | Ní déarfainnI would not say | An ndéarfainn?Would I say? |
| tú (you) | DéarfáYou would say | Ní déarfáYou would not say | An ndéarfá?Would you say? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Déarfadh sé / síHe would say | Ní déarfadh sé / síHe would not say | An ndéarfadh sé / sí?Would he say? |
| sinn (we) | DéarfaimisWe would say | Ní déarfaimisWe would not say | An ndéarfaimis?Would we say? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Déarfadh sibhYou would say | Ní déarfadh sibhYou would not say | An ndéarfadh sibh?Would you say? |
| siad (they) | DéarfaidísThey would say | Ní déarfaidísThey would not say | An ndéarfaidís?Would they say? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Déarfaí | Ní déarfaí | An ndéarfaí? |
“Abair” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with abair: Bíodh deireadh seachtaine maith agat (have a good weekend), Abair é sin arís (say that again), Abair é sin arís (say that again)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “abair”
To say in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to say?
The Irish for to say is abair (pronounced “AB-er”). It is an irregular verb; the verbal noun is rá.
What is the verbal noun of abair?
The verbal noun of abair is rá, used after ag for the continuous: ag rá (saying). The verbal adjective is ráite.
How do you say abair in the past and the future?
Past: Dúirt mé; negative Ní dúirt mé; question An ndúirt mé?. Future: Déarfaidh mé; negative Ní déarfaidh mé; question An ndéarfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of abair?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Déarfainn (I would say); negative Ní déarfainn; question An ndéarfainn?.
Is abair an irregular verb?
Abair is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern. The tables above give every form.
Does abair have more than one meaning?
Yes. Abair can mean to say, to sing, to tell or to mean, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'abair' and 'inis'?
'Abair' means to say words, while 'inis' means to tell or relate, as in 'inis scéal' (tell a story). To tell someone to do something use 'abair le': 'Dúirt mé léi imeacht.'
Why is the past 'ní dúirt' and not 'níor dhúirt'?
'Dúirt' is irregular: it takes 'ní' and 'an' and is not lenited, so 'ní dúirt sé' and 'an ndúirt tú?'.
