HeyRuaHow to say “to swell” in Irish
- Irish:
- borr
- English:
- to swell, grow
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- borradh (ag borradh, swelling)
- Verbal adjective:
- borrtha
- Pronunciation:
- “bor” /bˠɔɾˠ/
What does “borr” mean?
“Borr” has two alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to swell
- To become bigger or puffed up, like a swelling or a rising sea.Also: puff up, bulge, enlarge.
1 other meaning: grow
- 2to grow
- To grow, increase or thrive, especially quickly.Also: increase, thrive, burgeon.
“Borr” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Bhorr méI swelled | Níor bhorr méI did not swell | Ar bhorr mé?Did I swell? |
| tú (you) | Bhorr túYou swelled | Níor bhorr túYou did not swell | Ar bhorr tú?Did you swell? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhorr sé / síHe swelled | Níor bhorr sé / síHe did not swell | Ar bhorr sé / sí?Did he swell? |
| sinn (we) | BhorramarWe swelled | Níor bhorramarWe did not swell | Ar bhorramar?Did we swell? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhorr sibhYou swelled | Níor bhorr sibhYou did not swell | Ar bhorr sibh?Did you swell? |
| siad (they) | Bhorr siadThey swelled | Níor bhorr siadThey did not swell | Ar bhorr siad?Did they swell? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Borradh | Níor borradh | Ar borradh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BorraimI swell | Ní bhorraimI do not swell | An mborraim?Do I swell? |
| tú (you) | Borrann túYou swell | Ní bhorrann túYou do not swell | An mborrann tú?Do you swell? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Borrann sé / síHe swells | Ní bhorrann sé / síHe does not swell | An mborrann sé / sí?Does he swell? |
| sinn (we) | BorraimidWe swell | Ní bhorraimidWe do not swell | An mborraimid?Do we swell? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Borrann sibhYou swell | Ní bhorrann sibhYou do not swell | An mborrann sibh?Do you swell? |
| siad (they) | Borrann siadThey swell | Ní bhorrann siadThey do not swell | An mborrann siad?Do they swell? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Borrtar | Ní bhorrtar | An mborrtar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Borrfaidh méI will swell | Ní bhorrfaidh méI will not swell | An mborrfaidh mé?Will I swell? |
| tú (you) | Borrfaidh túYou will swell | Ní bhorrfaidh túYou will not swell | An mborrfaidh tú?Will you swell? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Borrfaidh sé / síHe will swell | Ní bhorrfaidh sé / síHe will not swell | An mborrfaidh sé / sí?Will he swell? |
| sinn (we) | BorrfaimidWe will swell | Ní bhorrfaimidWe will not swell | An mborrfaimid?Will we swell? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Borrfaidh sibhYou will swell | Ní bhorrfaidh sibhYou will not swell | An mborrfaidh sibh?Will you swell? |
| siad (they) | Borrfaidh siadThey will swell | Ní bhorrfaidh siadThey will not swell | An mborrfaidh siad?Will they swell? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Borrfar | Ní bhorrfar | An mborrfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | BhorrfainnI would swell | Ní bhorrfainnI would not swell | An mborrfainn?Would I swell? |
| tú (you) | BhorrfáYou would swell | Ní bhorrfáYou would not swell | An mborrfá?Would you swell? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Bhorrfadh sé / síHe would swell | Ní bhorrfadh sé / síHe would not swell | An mborrfadh sé / sí?Would he swell? |
| sinn (we) | BhorrfaimisWe would swell | Ní bhorrfaimisWe would not swell | An mborrfaimis?Would we swell? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Bhorrfadh sibhYou would swell | Ní bhorrfadh sibhYou would not swell | An mborrfadh sibh?Would you swell? |
| siad (they) | BhorrfaidísThey would swell | Ní bhorrfaidísThey would not swell | An mborrfaidís?Would they swell? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Bhorrfaí | Ní bhorrfaí | An mborrfaí? |
“Borr” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Bhorr a rúitín tar éis na timpiste.
Her ankle swelled after the accident.
Borrann an abhainn nuair a bhíonn báisteach throm ann.
The river swells when there is heavy rain.
Borrfaidh an t-arán san oigheann.
The bread will rise in the oven.
Bhorrfadh an lámh dá mbuailfeadh beach í.
The hand would swell if a bee stung it.
Níor bhorr an ghlúin in aon chor.
The knee did not swell at all.
Ar bhorr do shúil ar maidin?
Did your eye swell this morning?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To swell in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to swell?
The Irish for to swell is borr (pronounced “bor”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is borradh.
What is the verbal noun of borr?
The verbal noun of borr is borradh, used after ag for the continuous: ag borradh (swelling). The verbal adjective is borrtha.
How do you say borr in the past and the future?
Past: Bhorr mé; negative Níor bhorr mé; question Ar bhorr mé?. Future: Borrfaidh mé; negative Ní bhorrfaidh mé; question An mborrfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of borr?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Bhorrfainn (I would swell); negative Ní bhorrfainn; question An mborrfainn?.
Does borr have more than one meaning?
Yes. Borr can mean to swell or to grow, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'borr' and 'at'?
Both mean to swell, but 'at' is the everyday word for a body part swelling, while 'borr' also suggests growing or surging, as in 'borradh' (a surge or boom).
