HeyRuaHow to say “to sleep” in Irish
- Irish:
- codail
- English:
- to sleep, oversleep
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- codladh (ag codladh, sleeping)
- Verbal adjective:
- codalta
- Pronunciation:
- “KUD-il” /ˈkɔd̪ˠəlʲ/
What does “codail” mean?
“Codail” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to sleep
- To be asleep or to rest with your eyes closed and your mind unconscious.Also: be asleep, get some sleep, slumber.
1 other meaning: oversleep
- 2to oversleep
- Used with 'go headra' or 'thar am' to mean sleeping past the time you meant to get up.Also: sleep in, sleep late.
“Codail” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Chodail méI slept | Níor chodail méI did not sleep | Ar chodail mé?Did I sleep? |
| tú (you) | Chodail túYou slept | Níor chodail túYou did not sleep | Ar chodail tú?Did you sleep? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chodail sé / síHe slept | Níor chodail sé / síHe did not sleep | Ar chodail sé / sí?Did he sleep? |
| sinn (we) | ChodlaíomarWe slept | Níor chodlaíomarWe did not sleep | Ar chodlaíomar?Did we sleep? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chodail sibhYou slept | Níor chodail sibhYou did not sleep | Ar chodail sibh?Did you sleep? |
| siad (they) | Chodail siadThey slept | Níor chodail siadThey did not sleep | Ar chodail siad?Did they sleep? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Codlaíodh | Níor codlaíodh | Ar codlaíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CodlaímI sleep | Ní chodlaímI do not sleep | An gcodlaím?Do I sleep? |
| tú (you) | Codlaíonn túYou sleep | Ní chodlaíonn túYou do not sleep | An gcodlaíonn tú?Do you sleep? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Codlaíonn sé / síHe sleeps | Ní chodlaíonn sé / síHe does not sleep | An gcodlaíonn sé / sí?Does he sleep? |
| sinn (we) | CodlaímidWe sleep | Ní chodlaímidWe do not sleep | An gcodlaímid?Do we sleep? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Codlaíonn sibhYou sleep | Ní chodlaíonn sibhYou do not sleep | An gcodlaíonn sibh?Do you sleep? |
| siad (they) | Codlaíonn siadThey sleep | Ní chodlaíonn siadThey do not sleep | An gcodlaíonn siad?Do they sleep? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Codlaítear | Ní chodlaítear | An gcodlaítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Codlóidh méI will sleep | Ní chodlóidh méI will not sleep | An gcodlóidh mé?Will I sleep? |
| tú (you) | Codlóidh túYou will sleep | Ní chodlóidh túYou will not sleep | An gcodlóidh tú?Will you sleep? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Codlóidh sé / síHe will sleep | Ní chodlóidh sé / síHe will not sleep | An gcodlóidh sé / sí?Will he sleep? |
| sinn (we) | CodlóimidWe will sleep | Ní chodlóimidWe will not sleep | An gcodlóimid?Will we sleep? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Codlóidh sibhYou will sleep | Ní chodlóidh sibhYou will not sleep | An gcodlóidh sibh?Will you sleep? |
| siad (they) | Codlóidh siadThey will sleep | Ní chodlóidh siadThey will not sleep | An gcodlóidh siad?Will they sleep? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Codlófar | Ní chodlófar | An gcodlófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | ChodlóinnI would sleep | Ní chodlóinnI would not sleep | An gcodlóinn?Would I sleep? |
| tú (you) | ChodlófáYou would sleep | Ní chodlófáYou would not sleep | An gcodlófá?Would you sleep? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Chodlódh sé / síHe would sleep | Ní chodlódh sé / síHe would not sleep | An gcodlódh sé / sí?Would he sleep? |
| sinn (we) | ChodlóimisWe would sleep | Ní chodlóimisWe would not sleep | An gcodlóimis?Would we sleep? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Chodlódh sibhYou would sleep | Ní chodlódh sibhYou would not sleep | An gcodlódh sibh?Would you sleep? |
| siad (they) | ChodlóidísThey would sleep | Ní chodlóidísThey would not sleep | An gcodlóidís?Would they sleep? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Chodlófaí | Ní chodlófaí | An gcodlófaí? |
“Codail” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Níor chodail mé mórán aréir.
I didn't sleep much last night.
Codlaíonn an leanbh ar feadh dhá uair an chloig gach tráthnóna.
The baby sleeps for two hours every afternoon.
Codlóidh tú go maith tar éis an lae sin.
You'll sleep well after that day.
Chodlóinn níos fearr dá mbeadh an seomra ciúin.
I would sleep better if the room were quiet.
Ní chodlaíonn sé riamh roimh mheán oíche.
He never sleeps before midnight.
Ar chodail tú go maith?
Did you sleep well?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To sleep in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to sleep?
The Irish for to sleep is codail (pronounced “KUD-il”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is codladh.
What is the verbal noun of codail?
The verbal noun of codail is codladh, used after ag for the continuous: ag codladh (sleeping). The verbal adjective is codalta.
How do you say codail in the past and the future?
Past: Chodail mé; negative Níor chodail mé; question Ar chodail mé?. Future: Codlóidh mé; negative Ní chodlóidh mé; question An gcodlóidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of codail?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Chodlóinn (I would sleep); negative Ní chodlóinn; question An gcodlóinn?.
Does codail have more than one meaning?
Yes. Codail can mean to sleep or to oversleep, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'I am asleep' in Irish?
Use the verbal noun with 'i' and a possessive: 'Tá mé i mo chodladh' means 'I am asleep', and 'thit sé ina chodladh' means 'he fell asleep'.
What is the opposite of 'codail'?
To wake up is 'dúisigh' or 'múscail', as in 'Dhúisigh mé ag a seacht'.
