HeyRuaHow to say “to see” in Irish
- Irish:
- feic
- English:
- to see, meet, seem
- Word type:
- verb, irregular
- Verbal noun:
- feiceáil (ag feiceáil, seeing)
- Verbal adjective:
- feicthe
- Pronunciation:
- “fek” /fʲecː/
What does “feic” mean?
“Feic” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to see
- To notice or perceive something with your eyes.Also: notice, spot, catch sight of.
2 other meanings: meet or seem
- 2to meet
- To see or visit a person, to meet up with someone.Also: visit, see someone.
- 3to seem
- Used with 'do' to say how something appears to someone: 'feictear dom' means 'it seems to me'.Also: appear, look like.
“Feic” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Irregular verb. Feic is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern. After ní, an and go, the past uses the stem faca: ní fhaca mé and an bhfaca mé?
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chonaic méI saw | Ní fhaca méI did not see | An bhfaca mé?Did I see? |
| tú (you) | Chonaic túYou saw | Ní fhaca túYou did not see | An bhfaca tú?Did you see? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chonaic sé / síHe saw | Ní fhaca sé / síHe did not see | An bhfaca sé / sí?Did he see? |
| sinn (we) | ChonaiceamarWe saw | Ní fhacamarWe did not see | An bhfacamar?Did we see? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chonaic sibhYou saw | Ní fhaca sibhYou did not see | An bhfaca sibh?Did you see? |
| siad (they) | Chonaic siadThey saw | Ní fhaca siadThey did not see | An bhfaca siad?Did they see? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chonacthas | Ní fhacthas | An bhfacthas? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | FeicimI see | Ní fheicimI do not see | An bhfeicim?Do I see? |
| tú (you) | Feiceann túYou see | Ní fheiceann túYou do not see | An bhfeiceann tú?Do you see? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Feiceann sé / síHe sees | Ní fheiceann sé / síHe does not see | An bhfeiceann sé / sí?Does he see? |
| sinn (we) | FeicimidWe see | Ní fheicimidWe do not see | An bhfeicimid?Do we see? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Feiceann sibhYou see | Ní fheiceann sibhYou do not see | An bhfeiceann sibh?Do you see? |
| siad (they) | Feiceann siadThey see | Ní fheiceann siadThey do not see | An bhfeiceann siad?Do they see? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Feictear | Ní fheictear | An bhfeictear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Feicfidh méI will see | Ní fheicfidh méI will not see | An bhfeicfidh mé?Will I see? |
| tú (you) | Feicfidh túYou will see | Ní fheicfidh túYou will not see | An bhfeicfidh tú?Will you see? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Feicfidh sé / síHe will see | Ní fheicfidh sé / síHe will not see | An bhfeicfidh sé / sí?Will he see? |
| sinn (we) | FeicfimidWe will see | Ní fheicfimidWe will not see | An bhfeicfimid?Will we see? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Feicfidh sibhYou will see | Ní fheicfidh sibhYou will not see | An bhfeicfidh sibh?Will you see? |
| siad (they) | Feicfidh siadThey will see | Ní fheicfidh siadThey will not see | An bhfeicfidh siad?Will they see? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Feicfear | Ní fheicfear | An bhfeicfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fheicfinnI would see | Ní fheicfinnI would not see | An bhfeicfinn?Would I see? |
| tú (you) | D'fheicfeáYou would see | Ní fheicfeáYou would not see | An bhfeicfeá?Would you see? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fheicfeadh sé / síHe would see | Ní fheicfeadh sé / síHe would not see | An bhfeicfeadh sé / sí?Would he see? |
| sinn (we) | D'fheicfimisWe would see | Ní fheicfimisWe would not see | An bhfeicfimis?Would we see? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fheicfeadh sibhYou would see | Ní fheicfeadh sibhYou would not see | An bhfeicfeadh sibh?Would you see? |
| siad (they) | D'fheicfidísThey would see | Ní fheicfidísThey would not see | An bhfeicfidís?Would they see? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'fheicfí | Ní fheicfí | An bhfeicfí? |
“Feic” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with feic: Feicfidh mé ar ball thú (see you later), Feicfidh mé amárach thú (see you tomorrow), Feicfidh mé go luath thú (see you soon)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “feic”
To see in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to see?
The Irish for to see is feic (pronounced “fek”). It is an irregular verb; the verbal noun is feiceáil.
What is the verbal noun of feic?
The verbal noun of feic is feiceáil, used after ag for the continuous: ag feiceáil (seeing). The verbal adjective is feicthe.
How do you say feic in the past and the future?
Past: Chonaic mé; negative Ní fhaca mé; question An bhfaca mé?. Future: Feicfidh mé; negative Ní fheicfidh mé; question An bhfeicfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of feic?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'fheicfinn (I would see); negative Ní fheicfinn; question An bhfeicfinn?.
Is feic an irregular verb?
Feic is one of the eleven irregular verbs in Irish, so its forms do not follow the regular pattern. After ní, an and go, the past uses the stem faca: ní fhaca mé and an bhfaca mé? The tables above give every form.
Does feic have more than one meaning?
Yes. Feic can mean to see, to meet or to seem, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'feic' and 'féach'?
'Feic' means to see, while 'féach' means to look, often with 'ar': 'Féach ar an bpictiúr' (look at the picture), 'Feicim é' (I see it).
Why is it 'an bhfaca tú' and not 'ar chonaic tú'?
After particles like an, ní, go and nach the past tense uses the dependent form 'faca': 'Ní fhaca mé é', 'An bhfaca tú é?'.
