HeyRuaHow to say “to sink” in Irish
- Irish:
- suncáil
- English:
- to sink
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- suncáil (ag suncáil, sinking)
- Verbal adjective:
- suncáilte
- Pronunciation:
- “SUN-kawl” /ˈsˠʊŋkaːlʲ/
What does “suncáil” mean?
- to sink
- To go down or cause something to go down below the surface of water, like a ship.Also: scuttle, go down, founder.
“Suncáil” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Shuncáil méI sank | Níor shuncáil méI did not sink | Ar shuncáil mé?Did I sink? |
| tú (you) | Shuncáil túYou sank | Níor shuncáil túYou did not sink | Ar shuncáil tú?Did you sink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shuncáil sé / síHe sank | Níor shuncáil sé / síHe did not sink | Ar shuncáil sé / sí?Did he sink? |
| sinn (we) | ShuncálamarWe sank | Níor shuncálamarWe did not sink | Ar shuncálamar?Did we sink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shuncáil sibhYou sank | Níor shuncáil sibhYou did not sink | Ar shuncáil sibh?Did you sink? |
| siad (they) | Shuncáil siadThey sank | Níor shuncáil siadThey did not sink | Ar shuncáil siad?Did they sink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Suncáladh | Níor suncáladh | Ar suncáladh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SuncálaimI sink | Ní shuncálaimI do not sink | An suncálaim?Do I sink? |
| tú (you) | Suncálann túYou sink | Ní shuncálann túYou do not sink | An suncálann tú?Do you sink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Suncálann sé / síHe sinks | Ní shuncálann sé / síHe does not sink | An suncálann sé / sí?Does he sink? |
| sinn (we) | SuncálaimidWe sink | Ní shuncálaimidWe do not sink | An suncálaimid?Do we sink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Suncálann sibhYou sink | Ní shuncálann sibhYou do not sink | An suncálann sibh?Do you sink? |
| siad (they) | Suncálann siadThey sink | Ní shuncálann siadThey do not sink | An suncálann siad?Do they sink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Suncáiltear | Ní shuncáiltear | An suncáiltear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Suncálfaidh méI will sink | Ní shuncálfaidh méI will not sink | An suncálfaidh mé?Will I sink? |
| tú (you) | Suncálfaidh túYou will sink | Ní shuncálfaidh túYou will not sink | An suncálfaidh tú?Will you sink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Suncálfaidh sé / síHe will sink | Ní shuncálfaidh sé / síHe will not sink | An suncálfaidh sé / sí?Will he sink? |
| sinn (we) | SuncálfaimidWe will sink | Ní shuncálfaimidWe will not sink | An suncálfaimid?Will we sink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Suncálfaidh sibhYou will sink | Ní shuncálfaidh sibhYou will not sink | An suncálfaidh sibh?Will you sink? |
| siad (they) | Suncálfaidh siadThey will sink | Ní shuncálfaidh siadThey will not sink | An suncálfaidh siad?Will they sink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Suncálfar | Ní shuncálfar | An suncálfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ShuncálfainnI would sink | Ní shuncálfainnI would not sink | An suncálfainn?Would I sink? |
| tú (you) | ShuncálfáYou would sink | Ní shuncálfáYou would not sink | An suncálfá?Would you sink? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Shuncálfadh sé / síHe would sink | Ní shuncálfadh sé / síHe would not sink | An suncálfadh sé / sí?Would he sink? |
| sinn (we) | ShuncálfaimisWe would sink | Ní shuncálfaimisWe would not sink | An suncálfaimis?Would we sink? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Shuncálfadh sibhYou would sink | Ní shuncálfadh sibhYou would not sink | An suncálfadh sibh?Would you sink? |
| siad (they) | ShuncálfaidísThey would sink | Ní shuncálfaidísThey would not sink | An suncálfaidís?Would they sink? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Shuncálfaí | Ní shuncálfaí | An suncálfaí? |
“Suncáil” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Shuncáil an long amach ó chósta Chorcaí.
The ship sank off the coast of Cork.
Suncálann an bád nuair a ligtear uisce isteach inti.
The boat sinks when water is let into it.
Suncálfaidh siad an seanbhád sa chuan.
They will sink the old boat in the harbour.
Shuncálfadh an bád dá mbeadh an stoirm níos measa.
The boat would sink if the storm were worse.
Níor shuncáil an long in ainneoin na stoirme.
The ship did not sink despite the storm.
Ar shuncáil an bád iascaigh aréir?
Did the fishing boat sink last night?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To sink in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to sink?
The Irish for to sink is suncáil (pronounced “SUN-kawl”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is suncáil.
What is the verbal noun of suncáil?
The verbal noun of suncáil is suncáil, used after ag for the continuous: ag suncáil (sinking). The verbal adjective is suncáilte.
How do you say suncáil in the past and the future?
Past: Shuncáil mé; negative Níor shuncáil mé; question Ar shuncáil mé?. Future: Suncálfaidh mé; negative Ní shuncálfaidh mé; question An suncálfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of suncáil?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Shuncálfainn (I would sink); negative Ní shuncálfainn; question An suncálfainn?.
What is the difference between 'suncáil' and 'báigh'?
'Suncáil' is mainly used for sinking ships or objects, while 'báigh' means to drown or submerge, and is also used for ships: 'bádh an long'. 'Chuaigh sí go tóin poill' is another common way to say a ship sank.
