HeyRuaHow to say “to skin” in Irish
- Irish:
- feann
- English:
- to skin, fleece, criticise harshly
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- feannadh (ag feannadh, skinning)
- Verbal adjective:
- feannta
- Pronunciation:
- “fyown” /fʲaun̪ˠ/
What does “feann” mean?
“Feann” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to skin
- To remove the skin from an animal or a person; to flay.Also: flay, peel.
2 other meanings: fleece or criticise harshly
- 2to fleece
- To take money or goods from someone unfairly, to rob or strip them.Also: strip, plunder, rob.
- 3to criticise harshly
- To attack someone severely in words, to tear strips off them.Also: slate, lambaste, tear strips off.
Other Irish verbs for to skin: scamh (peel)
“Feann” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fheann méI skinned | Níor fheann méI did not skin | Ar fheann mé?Did I skin? |
| tú (you) | D'fheann túYou skinned | Níor fheann túYou did not skin | Ar fheann tú?Did you skin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fheann sé / síHe skinned | Níor fheann sé / síHe did not skin | Ar fheann sé / sí?Did he skin? |
| sinn (we) | D'fheannamarWe skinned | Níor fheannamarWe did not skin | Ar fheannamar?Did we skin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fheann sibhYou skinned | Níor fheann sibhYou did not skin | Ar fheann sibh?Did you skin? |
| siad (they) | D'fheann siadThey skinned | Níor fheann siadThey did not skin | Ar fheann siad?Did they skin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Feannadh | Níor feannadh | Ar feannadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | FeannaimI skin | Ní fheannaimI do not skin | An bhfeannaim?Do I skin? |
| tú (you) | Feannann túYou skin | Ní fheannann túYou do not skin | An bhfeannann tú?Do you skin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Feannann sé / síHe skins | Ní fheannann sé / síHe does not skin | An bhfeannann sé / sí?Does he skin? |
| sinn (we) | FeannaimidWe skin | Ní fheannaimidWe do not skin | An bhfeannaimid?Do we skin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Feannann sibhYou skin | Ní fheannann sibhYou do not skin | An bhfeannann sibh?Do you skin? |
| siad (they) | Feannann siadThey skin | Ní fheannann siadThey do not skin | An bhfeannann siad?Do they skin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Feanntar | Ní fheanntar | An bhfeanntar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Feannfaidh méI will skin | Ní fheannfaidh méI will not skin | An bhfeannfaidh mé?Will I skin? |
| tú (you) | Feannfaidh túYou will skin | Ní fheannfaidh túYou will not skin | An bhfeannfaidh tú?Will you skin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Feannfaidh sé / síHe will skin | Ní fheannfaidh sé / síHe will not skin | An bhfeannfaidh sé / sí?Will he skin? |
| sinn (we) | FeannfaimidWe will skin | Ní fheannfaimidWe will not skin | An bhfeannfaimid?Will we skin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Feannfaidh sibhYou will skin | Ní fheannfaidh sibhYou will not skin | An bhfeannfaidh sibh?Will you skin? |
| siad (they) | Feannfaidh siadThey will skin | Ní fheannfaidh siadThey will not skin | An bhfeannfaidh siad?Will they skin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Feannfar | Ní fheannfar | An bhfeannfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fheannfainnI would skin | Ní fheannfainnI would not skin | An bhfeannfainn?Would I skin? |
| tú (you) | D'fheannfáYou would skin | Ní fheannfáYou would not skin | An bhfeannfá?Would you skin? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fheannfadh sé / síHe would skin | Ní fheannfadh sé / síHe would not skin | An bhfeannfadh sé / sí?Would he skin? |
| sinn (we) | D'fheannfaimisWe would skin | Ní fheannfaimisWe would not skin | An bhfeannfaimis?Would we skin? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fheannfadh sibhYou would skin | Ní fheannfadh sibhYou would not skin | An bhfeannfadh sibh?Would you skin? |
| siad (they) | D'fheannfaidísThey would skin | Ní fheannfaidísThey would not skin | An bhfeannfaidís?Would they skin? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'fheannfaí | Ní fheannfaí | An bhfeannfaí? |
“Feann” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
D'fheann an búistéir an coinín go cúramach.
The butcher skinned the rabbit carefully.
Feannann na siopaí sin na turasóirí gach samhradh.
Those shops fleece the tourists every summer.
Feannfaidh an múinteoir mé má bhím déanach arís.
The teacher will tear strips off me if I'm late again.
D'fheannfadh sé thú dá bhfaigheadh sé an deis.
He would fleece you if he got the chance.
Níor fheann siad an fia go fóill.
They haven't skinned the deer yet.
Ar fheann na léirmheastóirí an dráma nua?
Did the critics slate the new play?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To skin in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to skin?
The Irish for to skin is feann (pronounced “fyown”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is feannadh.
What is the verbal noun of feann?
The verbal noun of feann is feannadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag feannadh (skinning). The verbal adjective is feannta.
How do you say feann in the past and the future?
Past: D'fheann mé; negative Níor fheann mé; question Ar fheann mé?. Future: Feannfaidh mé; negative Ní fheannfaidh mé; question An bhfeannfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of feann?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'fheannfainn (I would skin); negative Ní fheannfainn; question An bhfeannfainn?.
Does feann have more than one meaning?
Yes. Feann can mean to skin, to fleece or to criticise harshly, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Can 'feann' be used for harsh criticism?
Yes, figuratively 'feann' means to criticise someone severely, as in 'D'fheann na léirmheastóirí é', the critics slated him.
