HeyRuaHow to say “to work” in Irish
- Irish:
- oibrigh
- English:
- to work, operate, work on
- Word type:
- verb, second-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- oibriú (ag oibriú, working)
- Verbal adjective:
- oibrithe
- Pronunciation:
- “IB-ree” /ˈɛbʲɾʲə/
What does “oibrigh” mean?
“Oibrigh” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to work
- To do a job or carry out physical or mental labour.Also: labour, toil.
2 other meanings: operate or work on
- 2to operate
- To make a machine or system run, or to function properly.Also: function, run, work.
- 3to work on
- To act on or influence something or someone, used with 'ar'.Also: act on, affect.
“Oibrigh” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'oibrigh méI worked | Níor oibrigh méI did not work | Ar oibrigh mé?Did I work? |
| tú (you) | D'oibrigh túYou worked | Níor oibrigh túYou did not work | Ar oibrigh tú?Did you work? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'oibrigh sé / síHe worked | Níor oibrigh sé / síHe did not work | Ar oibrigh sé / sí?Did he work? |
| sinn (we) | D'oibríomarWe worked | Níor oibríomarWe did not work | Ar oibríomar?Did we work? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'oibrigh sibhYou worked | Níor oibrigh sibhYou did not work | Ar oibrigh sibh?Did you work? |
| siad (they) | D'oibrigh siadThey worked | Níor oibrigh siadThey did not work | Ar oibrigh siad?Did they work? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Oibríodh | Níor oibríodh | Ar oibríodh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | OibrímI work | Ní oibrímI do not work | An oibrím?Do I work? |
| tú (you) | Oibríonn túYou work | Ní oibríonn túYou do not work | An oibríonn tú?Do you work? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Oibríonn sé / síHe works | Ní oibríonn sé / síHe does not work | An oibríonn sé / sí?Does he work? |
| sinn (we) | OibrímidWe work | Ní oibrímidWe do not work | An oibrímid?Do we work? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Oibríonn sibhYou work | Ní oibríonn sibhYou do not work | An oibríonn sibh?Do you work? |
| siad (they) | Oibríonn siadThey work | Ní oibríonn siadThey do not work | An oibríonn siad?Do they work? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Oibrítear | Ní oibrítear | An oibrítear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Oibreoidh méI will work | Ní oibreoidh méI will not work | An oibreoidh mé?Will I work? |
| tú (you) | Oibreoidh túYou will work | Ní oibreoidh túYou will not work | An oibreoidh tú?Will you work? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Oibreoidh sé / síHe will work | Ní oibreoidh sé / síHe will not work | An oibreoidh sé / sí?Will he work? |
| sinn (we) | OibreoimidWe will work | Ní oibreoimidWe will not work | An oibreoimid?Will we work? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Oibreoidh sibhYou will work | Ní oibreoidh sibhYou will not work | An oibreoidh sibh?Will you work? |
| siad (they) | Oibreoidh siadThey will work | Ní oibreoidh siadThey will not work | An oibreoidh siad?Will they work? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Oibreofar | Ní oibreofar | An oibreofar? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'oibreoinnI would work | Ní oibreoinnI would not work | An oibreoinn?Would I work? |
| tú (you) | D'oibreofáYou would work | Ní oibreofáYou would not work | An oibreofá?Would you work? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'oibreodh sé / síHe would work | Ní oibreodh sé / síHe would not work | An oibreodh sé / sí?Would he work? |
| sinn (we) | D'oibreoimisWe would work | Ní oibreoimisWe would not work | An oibreoimis?Would we work? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'oibreodh sibhYou would work | Ní oibreodh sibhYou would not work | An oibreodh sibh?Would you work? |
| siad (they) | D'oibreoidísThey would work | Ní oibreoidísThey would not work | An oibreoidís?Would they work? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'oibreofaí | Ní oibreofaí | An oibreofaí? |
“Oibrigh” in a sentence: Irish examples
Past, present, future and conditional, with a negative and a question.
Phrases with oibrigh: Oibrím i (I work in)
Other verbs in Irish
More everyday Irish verbs to learn next.
Phrases with “oibrigh”
To work in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to work?
The Irish for to work is oibrigh (pronounced “IB-ree”). It is a second-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is oibriú.
What is the verbal noun of oibrigh?
The verbal noun of oibrigh is oibriú, used after ag for the continuous: ag oibriú (working). The verbal adjective is oibrithe.
How do you say oibrigh in the past and the future?
Past: D'oibrigh mé; negative Níor oibrigh mé; question Ar oibrigh mé?. Future: Oibreoidh mé; negative Ní oibreoidh mé; question An oibreoidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of oibrigh?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'oibreoinn (I would work); negative Ní oibreoinn; question An oibreoinn?.
Does oibrigh have more than one meaning?
Yes. Oibrigh can mean to work, to operate or to work on, depending on context; the first is the most common.
How do I say 'it works' about a machine?
Use 'oibríonn sé', for example 'Oibríonn an carr anois' means 'The car works now'. You can also say 'Tá sé ag obair'.
What is the difference between 'oibriú' and 'obair'?
'Obair' is the everyday noun and verbal noun for work, as in 'tá mé ag obair'. 'Oibriú' is the verbal noun of 'oibrigh', used more for operating or working something, as in 'oibriú an innill'.
