HeyRuaHow to say “to think” in Irish
- Irish:
- ceap
- English:
- to think, appoint, invent, catch
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- ceapadh (ag ceapadh, thinking)
- Verbal adjective:
- ceaptha
- Pronunciation:
- “kyap” /cap/
What does “ceap” mean?
“Ceap” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to think
- To have an opinion or belief about something.Also: reckon, suppose, believe.
3 other meanings: appoint or invent or catch
- 2to appoint
- To choose someone officially for a job or position.Also: nominate, assign.
- 3to invent
- To make up or devise something new, such as a name, plan or story.Also: devise, make up, compose, design.
- 4to catch
- To catch, trap or stop something, such as a ball or an animal.Also: trap, intercept.
Other Irish verbs for to think: meas (think), síl (think), smaoinigh (think), machnaigh (reflect)
“Ceap” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Cheap méI thought | Níor cheap méI did not think | Ar cheap mé?Did I think? |
| tú (you) | Cheap túYou thought | Níor cheap túYou did not think | Ar cheap tú?Did you think? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cheap sé / síHe thought | Níor cheap sé / síHe did not think | Ar cheap sé / sí?Did he think? |
| sinn (we) | CheapamarWe thought | Níor cheapamarWe did not think | Ar cheapamar?Did we think? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cheap sibhYou thought | Níor cheap sibhYou did not think | Ar cheap sibh?Did you think? |
| siad (they) | Cheap siadThey thought | Níor cheap siadThey did not think | Ar cheap siad?Did they think? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ceapadh | Níor ceapadh | Ar ceapadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CeapaimI think | Ní cheapaimI do not think | An gceapaim?Do I think? |
| tú (you) | Ceapann túYou think | Ní cheapann túYou do not think | An gceapann tú?Do you think? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ceapann sé / síHe thinks | Ní cheapann sé / síHe does not think | An gceapann sé / sí?Does he think? |
| sinn (we) | CeapaimidWe think | Ní cheapaimidWe do not think | An gceapaimid?Do we think? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ceapann sibhYou think | Ní cheapann sibhYou do not think | An gceapann sibh?Do you think? |
| siad (they) | Ceapann siadThey think | Ní cheapann siadThey do not think | An gceapann siad?Do they think? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ceaptar | Ní cheaptar | An gceaptar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Ceapfaidh méI will think | Ní cheapfaidh méI will not think | An gceapfaidh mé?Will I think? |
| tú (you) | Ceapfaidh túYou will think | Ní cheapfaidh túYou will not think | An gceapfaidh tú?Will you think? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Ceapfaidh sé / síHe will think | Ní cheapfaidh sé / síHe will not think | An gceapfaidh sé / sí?Will he think? |
| sinn (we) | CeapfaimidWe will think | Ní cheapfaimidWe will not think | An gceapfaimid?Will we think? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Ceapfaidh sibhYou will think | Ní cheapfaidh sibhYou will not think | An gceapfaidh sibh?Will you think? |
| siad (they) | Ceapfaidh siadThey will think | Ní cheapfaidh siadThey will not think | An gceapfaidh siad?Will they think? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Ceapfar | Ní cheapfar | An gceapfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | CheapfainnI would think | Ní cheapfainnI would not think | An gceapfainn?Would I think? |
| tú (you) | CheapfáYou would think | Ní cheapfáYou would not think | An gceapfá?Would you think? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Cheapfadh sé / síHe would think | Ní cheapfadh sé / síHe would not think | An gceapfadh sé / sí?Would he think? |
| sinn (we) | CheapfaimisWe would think | Ní cheapfaimisWe would not think | An gceapfaimis?Would we think? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Cheapfadh sibhYou would think | Ní cheapfadh sibhYou would not think | An gceapfadh sibh?Would you think? |
| siad (they) | CheapfaidísThey would think | Ní cheapfaidísThey would not think | An gceapfaidís?Would they think? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Cheapfaí | Ní cheapfaí | An gceapfaí? |
“Ceap” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To think in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to think?
The Irish for to think is ceap (pronounced “kyap”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is ceapadh.
What is the verbal noun of ceap?
The verbal noun of ceap is ceapadh, used after ag for the continuous: ag ceapadh (thinking). The verbal adjective is ceaptha.
How do you say ceap in the past and the future?
Past: Cheap mé; negative Níor cheap mé; question Ar cheap mé?. Future: Ceapfaidh mé; negative Ní cheapfaidh mé; question An gceapfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of ceap?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Cheapfainn (I would think); negative Ní cheapfainn; question An gceapfainn?.
Does ceap have more than one meaning?
Yes. Ceap can mean to think, to appoint, to invent or to catch, depending on context; the first is the most common.
What is the difference between 'ceap' and 'síl'?
Both mean 'think' in the sense of having an opinion: 'ceapaim' is common everywhere, while 'sílim' is especially common in Connacht and Ulster.
How do I say someone was appointed to a position?
Use 'ceap' with 'i' plus the possessive: 'Ceapadh ina cathaoirleach í' means 'She was appointed chairperson'.
