HeyRuaHow to say “to wait” in Irish
- Irish:
- fan
- English:
- to wait, stay, keep
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- fanacht (ag fanacht, waiting)
- Verbal adjective:
- fanta
- Pronunciation:
- “fon” /fˠan̪ˠ/
What does “fan” mean?
“Fan” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to wait
- To stay where you are or delay doing something until someone comes or something happens.Also: wait for, hold on, hang on.
2 other meanings: stay or keep
- 2to stay
- To remain in a place, or to live somewhere for a time.Also: remain, stop, stay put.
- 3to keep
- To keep away from or out of something, used with 'ó' or 'amach as'.Also: keep away, stay away, keep out.
“Fan” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fhan méI waited | Níor fhan méI did not wait | Ar fhan mé?Did I wait? |
| tú (you) | D'fhan túYou waited | Níor fhan túYou did not wait | Ar fhan tú?Did you wait? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fhan sé / síHe waited | Níor fhan sé / síHe did not wait | Ar fhan sé / sí?Did he wait? |
| sinn (we) | D'fhanamarWe waited | Níor fhanamarWe did not wait | Ar fhanamar?Did we wait? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fhan sibhYou waited | Níor fhan sibhYou did not wait | Ar fhan sibh?Did you wait? |
| siad (they) | D'fhan siadThey waited | Níor fhan siadThey did not wait | Ar fhan siad?Did they wait? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Fanadh | Níor fanadh | Ar fanadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | FanaimI wait | Ní fhanaimI do not wait | An bhfanaim?Do I wait? |
| tú (you) | Fanann túYou wait | Ní fhanann túYou do not wait | An bhfanann tú?Do you wait? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Fanann sé / síHe waits | Ní fhanann sé / síHe does not wait | An bhfanann sé / sí?Does he wait? |
| sinn (we) | FanaimidWe wait | Ní fhanaimidWe do not wait | An bhfanaimid?Do we wait? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Fanann sibhYou wait | Ní fhanann sibhYou do not wait | An bhfanann sibh?Do you wait? |
| siad (they) | Fanann siadThey wait | Ní fhanann siadThey do not wait | An bhfanann siad?Do they wait? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Fantar | Ní fhantar | An bhfantar? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Fanfaidh méI will wait | Ní fhanfaidh méI will not wait | An bhfanfaidh mé?Will I wait? |
| tú (you) | Fanfaidh túYou will wait | Ní fhanfaidh túYou will not wait | An bhfanfaidh tú?Will you wait? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Fanfaidh sé / síHe will wait | Ní fhanfaidh sé / síHe will not wait | An bhfanfaidh sé / sí?Will he wait? |
| sinn (we) | FanfaimidWe will wait | Ní fhanfaimidWe will not wait | An bhfanfaimid?Will we wait? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Fanfaidh sibhYou will wait | Ní fhanfaidh sibhYou will not wait | An bhfanfaidh sibh?Will you wait? |
| siad (they) | Fanfaidh siadThey will wait | Ní fhanfaidh siadThey will not wait | An bhfanfaidh siad?Will they wait? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Fanfar | Ní fhanfar | An bhfanfar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fhanfainnI would wait | Ní fhanfainnI would not wait | An bhfanfainn?Would I wait? |
| tú (you) | D'fhanfáYou would wait | Ní fhanfáYou would not wait | An bhfanfá?Would you wait? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fhanfadh sé / síHe would wait | Ní fhanfadh sé / síHe would not wait | An bhfanfadh sé / sí?Would he wait? |
| sinn (we) | D'fhanfaimisWe would wait | Ní fhanfaimisWe would not wait | An bhfanfaimis?Would we wait? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fhanfadh sibhYou would wait | Ní fhanfadh sibhYou would not wait | An bhfanfadh sibh?Would you wait? |
| siad (they) | D'fhanfaidísThey would wait | Ní fhanfaidísThey would not wait | An bhfanfaidís?Would they wait? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'fhanfaí | Ní fhanfaí | An bhfanfaí? |
“Fan” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with fan: Fan (wait), Fan (wait)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “fan”
To wait in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to wait?
The Irish for to wait is fan (pronounced “fon”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is fanacht.
What is the verbal noun of fan?
The verbal noun of fan is fanacht, used after ag for the continuous: ag fanacht (waiting). The verbal adjective is fanta.
How do you say fan in the past and the future?
Past: D'fhan mé; negative Níor fhan mé; question Ar fhan mé?. Future: Fanfaidh mé; negative Ní fhanfaidh mé; question An bhfanfaidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of fan?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'fhanfainn (I would wait); negative Ní fhanfainn; question An bhfanfainn?.
Does fan have more than one meaning?
Yes. Fan can mean to wait, to stay or to keep, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'wait for' someone in Irish?
Use the preposition 'le': 'Fan liom' means 'Wait for me', and 'Fan leis an mbus' means 'Wait for the bus'.
Is 'fan' the same as 'stad'?
No. 'Fan' means to wait or stay, while 'stad' means to stop moving or cease: 'Stad an carr' is 'The car stopped', but 'D'fhan mé' is 'I waited'.
