HeyRuaHow to say “to sift” in Irish
- Irish:
- criathraigh
- English:
- to sift, riddle, examine minutely
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- criathrú (ag criathrú, sifting)
- Verbal adjective:
- criathraithe
- Pronunciation:
- “KREE-uh-ree” /ˈcɾʲiəɾˠə/
What does “criathraigh” mean?
“Criathraigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to sift
- To pass flour, soil or similar material through a sieve to separate fine parts from coarse ones.Also: sieve, riddle, strain.
2 other meanings: riddle or examine minutely
- 2to riddle
- To pierce something with many holes, as with bullets or worms.Also: honeycomb, perforate, pierce with holes.
- 3to examine minutely
- To examine or screen something very closely and carefully.Also: scrutinise, screen, sift through.
“Criathraigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chriathraigh méI sifted | Níor chriathraigh méI did not sift | Ar chriathraigh mé?Did I sift? |
| tú (you) | Chriathraigh túYou sifted | Níor chriathraigh túYou did not sift | Ar chriathraigh tú?Did you sift? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chriathraigh sé / síHe sifted | Níor chriathraigh sé / síHe did not sift | Ar chriathraigh sé / sí?Did he sift? |
| sinn (we) | ChriathraíomarWe sifted | Níor chriathraíomarWe did not sift | Ar chriathraíomar?Did we sift? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chriathraigh sibhYou sifted | Níor chriathraigh sibhYou did not sift | Ar chriathraigh sibh?Did you sift? |
| siad (they) | Chriathraigh siadThey sifted | Níor chriathraigh siadThey did not sift | Ar chriathraigh siad?Did they sift? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Criathraíodh | Níor criathraíodh | Ar criathraíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CriathraímI sift | Ní chriathraímI do not sift | An gcriathraím?Do I sift? |
| tú (you) | Criathraíonn túYou sift | Ní chriathraíonn túYou do not sift | An gcriathraíonn tú?Do you sift? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Criathraíonn sé / síHe sifts | Ní chriathraíonn sé / síHe does not sift | An gcriathraíonn sé / sí?Does he sift? |
| sinn (we) | CriathraímidWe sift | Ní chriathraímidWe do not sift | An gcriathraímid?Do we sift? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Criathraíonn sibhYou sift | Ní chriathraíonn sibhYou do not sift | An gcriathraíonn sibh?Do you sift? |
| siad (they) | Criathraíonn siadThey sift | Ní chriathraíonn siadThey do not sift | An gcriathraíonn siad?Do they sift? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Criathraítear | Ní chriathraítear | An gcriathraítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Criathróidh méI will sift | Ní chriathróidh méI will not sift | An gcriathróidh mé?Will I sift? |
| tú (you) | Criathróidh túYou will sift | Ní chriathróidh túYou will not sift | An gcriathróidh tú?Will you sift? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Criathróidh sé / síHe will sift | Ní chriathróidh sé / síHe will not sift | An gcriathróidh sé / sí?Will he sift? |
| sinn (we) | CriathróimidWe will sift | Ní chriathróimidWe will not sift | An gcriathróimid?Will we sift? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Criathróidh sibhYou will sift | Ní chriathróidh sibhYou will not sift | An gcriathróidh sibh?Will you sift? |
| siad (they) | Criathróidh siadThey will sift | Ní chriathróidh siadThey will not sift | An gcriathróidh siad?Will they sift? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Criathrófar | Ní chriathrófar | An gcriathrófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChriathróinnI would sift | Ní chriathróinnI would not sift | An gcriathróinn?Would I sift? |
| tú (you) | ChriathrófáYou would sift | Ní chriathrófáYou would not sift | An gcriathrófá?Would you sift? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chriathródh sé / síHe would sift | Ní chriathródh sé / síHe would not sift | An gcriathródh sé / sí?Would he sift? |
| sinn (we) | ChriathróimisWe would sift | Ní chriathróimisWe would not sift | An gcriathróimis?Would we sift? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chriathródh sibhYou would sift | Ní chriathródh sibhYou would not sift | An gcriathródh sibh?Would you sift? |
| siad (they) | ChriathróidísThey would sift | Ní chriathróidísThey would not sift | An gcriathróidís?Would they sift? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chriathrófaí | Ní chriathrófaí | An gcriathrófaí? |
“Criathraigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Chriathraigh sí an plúr isteach sa bhabhla.
She sifted the flour into the bowl.
Criathraíonn an garraíodóir an chré roimh ré.
The gardener sifts the soil beforehand.
Criathróidh mé an siúcra duit.
I will sift the sugar for you.
Chriathródh sé an fhianaise go cúramach.
He would examine the evidence minutely.
Níor chriathraigh mé an gaineamh fós.
I haven't sifted the sand yet.
Ar chriathraigh tú an plúr?
Did you sift the flour?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To sift in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to sift?
The Irish for to sift is criathraigh (pronounced “KREE-uh-ree”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is criathrú.
What is the verbal noun of criathraigh?
The verbal noun of criathraigh is criathrú, used after ag for the continuous: ag criathrú (sifting). The verbal adjective is criathraithe.
How do you say criathraigh in the past and the future?
Past: Chriathraigh mé; negative Níor chriathraigh mé; question Ar chriathraigh mé?. Future: Criathróidh mé; negative Ní chriathróidh mé; question An gcriathróidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of criathraigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chriathróinn (I would sift); negative Ní chriathróinn; question An gcriathróinn?.
Does criathraigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Criathraigh can mean to sift, to riddle or to examine minutely, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'criathraigh' and 'scag'?
'Criathraigh' comes from 'criathar' (a sieve) and means to sift dry material, while 'scag' usually means to filter or strain liquids, though both can mean to screen or sift figuratively.
