HeyRuaHow to say “to violate” in Irish
- Irish:
- sáraigh
- English:
- to violate, overcome, exceed, exhaust
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- sárú (ag sárú, violating)
- Verbal adjective:
- sáraithe
- Pronunciation:
- “SAW-ree” /ˈsˠaːɾˠiː/
What does “sáraigh” mean?
“Sáraigh” has four alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to violate
- To break or infringe a law, rule or right.Also: break, infringe, breach, transgress.
3 other meanings: overcome or exceed or exhaust
- 2to overcome
- To defeat or get the better of a person, problem or obstacle.Also: defeat, surmount, beat, get the better of.
- 3to exceed
- To go beyond or surpass something, such as a limit or record.Also: surpass, outdo, excel, beat.
- 4to exhaust
- To tire someone out completely.Also: tire out, wear out.
“Sáraigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Sháraigh méI violated | Níor sháraigh méI did not violate | Ar sháraigh mé?Did I violate? |
| tú (you) | Sháraigh túYou violated | Níor sháraigh túYou did not violate | Ar sháraigh tú?Did you violate? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Sháraigh sé / síHe violated | Níor sháraigh sé / síHe did not violate | Ar sháraigh sé / sí?Did he violate? |
| sinn (we) | SháraíomarWe violated | Níor sháraíomarWe did not violate | Ar sháraíomar?Did we violate? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Sháraigh sibhYou violated | Níor sháraigh sibhYou did not violate | Ar sháraigh sibh?Did you violate? |
| siad (they) | Sháraigh siadThey violated | Níor sháraigh siadThey did not violate | Ar sháraigh siad?Did they violate? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Sáraíodh | Níor sáraíodh | Ar sáraíodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SáraímI violate | Ní sháraímI do not violate | An sáraím?Do I violate? |
| tú (you) | Sáraíonn túYou violate | Ní sháraíonn túYou do not violate | An sáraíonn tú?Do you violate? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Sáraíonn sé / síHe violates | Ní sháraíonn sé / síHe does not violate | An sáraíonn sé / sí?Does he violate? |
| sinn (we) | SáraímidWe violate | Ní sháraímidWe do not violate | An sáraímid?Do we violate? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Sáraíonn sibhYou violate | Ní sháraíonn sibhYou do not violate | An sáraíonn sibh?Do you violate? |
| siad (they) | Sáraíonn siadThey violate | Ní sháraíonn siadThey do not violate | An sáraíonn siad?Do they violate? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Sáraítear | Ní sháraítear | An sáraítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Sáróidh méI will violate | Ní sháróidh méI will not violate | An sáróidh mé?Will I violate? |
| tú (you) | Sáróidh túYou will violate | Ní sháróidh túYou will not violate | An sáróidh tú?Will you violate? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Sáróidh sé / síHe will violate | Ní sháróidh sé / síHe will not violate | An sáróidh sé / sí?Will he violate? |
| sinn (we) | SáróimidWe will violate | Ní sháróimidWe will not violate | An sáróimid?Will we violate? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Sáróidh sibhYou will violate | Ní sháróidh sibhYou will not violate | An sáróidh sibh?Will you violate? |
| siad (they) | Sáróidh siadThey will violate | Ní sháróidh siadThey will not violate | An sáróidh siad?Will they violate? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Sárófar | Ní shárófar | An sárófar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | SháróinnI would violate | Ní sháróinnI would not violate | An sáróinn?Would I violate? |
| tú (you) | ShárófáYou would violate | Ní shárófáYou would not violate | An sárófá?Would you violate? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Sháródh sé / síHe would violate | Ní sháródh sé / síHe would not violate | An sáródh sé / sí?Would he violate? |
| sinn (we) | SháróimisWe would violate | Ní sháróimisWe would not violate | An sáróimis?Would we violate? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Sháródh sibhYou would violate | Ní sháródh sibhYou would not violate | An sáródh sibh?Would you violate? |
| siad (they) | SháróidísThey would violate | Ní sháróidísThey would not violate | An sáróidís?Would they violate? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Shárófaí | Ní shárófaí | An sárófaí? |
“Sáraigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Sháraigh an trádálaí an dlí.
The trader broke the law.
Sáraíonn sé na rialacha gach lá.
He breaks the rules every day.
Sáróimid gach constaic le chéile.
We will overcome every obstacle together.
Sháródh sí an churiarracht dá mbeadh an aimsir go maith.
She would break the record if the weather were good.
Níor sháraigh siad an teorainn luais.
They did not exceed the speed limit.
Ar sáraíodh na fadhbanna go fóill?
Have the problems been overcome yet?
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
To violate in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to violate?
The Irish for to violate is sáraigh (pronounced “SAW-ree”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is sárú.
What is the verbal noun of sáraigh?
The verbal noun of sáraigh is sárú, used after ag for the continuous: ag sárú (violating). The verbal adjective is sáraithe.
How do you say sáraigh in the past and the future?
Past: Sháraigh mé; negative Níor sháraigh mé; question Ar sháraigh mé?. Future: Sáróidh mé; negative Ní sháróidh mé; question An sáróidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of sáraigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is Sháróinn (I would violate); negative Ní sháróinn; question An sáróinn?.
Does sáraigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Sáraigh can mean to violate, to overcome, to exceed or to exhaust, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Is 'sáraigh' or 'bris' used for breaking a law?
Both are used: 'sáraigh an dlí' is more formal, while 'bris an dlí' is common in everyday speech. For physically breaking objects use only 'bris'.
How do I say 'it beats me' with sáraigh?
You can say 'sáraíonn sé orm' or more commonly 'sháraigh sé mé', meaning it got the better of me.
