HeyRuaHow to say “to watch” in Irish
- Irish:
- fair
- English:
- to watch, wait for, wake
- Word type:
- verb, first-conjugation
- Verbal noun:
- faire (ag faire, watching)
- Verbal adjective:
- fairthe
- Pronunciation:
- “far” /fˠaɾʲ/
What does “fair” mean?
“Fair” has three alternative meanings. The most common comes first.
- to watch
- To keep watch over someone or something, observing carefully.Also: keep watch, guard, observe.
“Fair” in the different tenses
Every form follows An Caighdeán Oifigiúil.
Aimsir Chaite (Past)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fhair méI watched | Níor fhair méI did not watch | Ar fhair mé?Did I watch? |
| tú (you) | D'fhair túYou watched | Níor fhair túYou did not watch | Ar fhair tú?Did you watch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fhair sé / síHe watched | Níor fhair sé / síHe did not watch | Ar fhair sé / sí?Did he watch? |
| sinn (we) | D'fhaireamarWe watched | Níor fhaireamarWe did not watch | Ar fhaireamar?Did we watch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fhair sibhYou watched | Níor fhair sibhYou did not watch | Ar fhair sibh?Did you watch? |
| siad (they) | D'fhair siadThey watched | Níor fhair siadThey did not watch | Ar fhair siad?Did they watch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Faireadh | Níor faireadh | Ar faireadh? |
Aimsir Láithreach (Present)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | FairimI watch | Ní fhairimI do not watch | An bhfairim?Do I watch? |
| tú (you) | Faireann túYou watch | Ní fhaireann túYou do not watch | An bhfaireann tú?Do you watch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Faireann sé / síHe watches | Ní fhaireann sé / síHe does not watch | An bhfaireann sé / sí?Does he watch? |
| sinn (we) | FairimidWe watch | Ní fhairimidWe do not watch | An bhfairimid?Do we watch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Faireann sibhYou watch | Ní fhaireann sibhYou do not watch | An bhfaireann sibh?Do you watch? |
| siad (they) | Faireann siadThey watch | Ní fhaireann siadThey do not watch | An bhfaireann siad?Do they watch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Fairtear | Ní fhairtear | An bhfairtear? |
Aimsir Fháistineach (Future)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | Fairfidh méI will watch | Ní fhairfidh méI will not watch | An bhfairfidh mé?Will I watch? |
| tú (you) | Fairfidh túYou will watch | Ní fhairfidh túYou will not watch | An bhfairfidh tú?Will you watch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | Fairfidh sé / síHe will watch | Ní fhairfidh sé / síHe will not watch | An bhfairfidh sé / sí?Will he watch? |
| sinn (we) | FairfimidWe will watch | Ní fhairfimidWe will not watch | An bhfairfimid?Will we watch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | Fairfidh sibhYou will watch | Ní fhairfidh sibhYou will not watch | An bhfairfidh sibh?Will you watch? |
| siad (they) | Fairfidh siadThey will watch | Ní fhairfidh siadThey will not watch | An bhfairfidh siad?Will they watch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | Fairfear | Ní fhairfear | An bhfairfear? |
Modh Coinníollach (Conditional)
| Person | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| mé (I) | D'fhairfinnI would watch | Ní fhairfinnI would not watch | An bhfairfinn?Would I watch? |
| tú (you) | D'fhairfeáYou would watch | Ní fhairfeáYou would not watch | An bhfairfeá?Would you watch? |
| sé / sí (he / she) | D'fhairfeadh sé / síHe would watch | Ní fhairfeadh sé / síHe would not watch | An bhfairfeadh sé / sí?Would he watch? |
| sinn (we) | D'fhairfimisWe would watch | Ní fhairfimisWe would not watch | An bhfairfimis?Would we watch? |
| sibh (you, plural) | D'fhairfeadh sibhYou would watch | Ní fhairfeadh sibhYou would not watch | An bhfairfeadh sibh?Would you watch? |
| siad (they) | D'fhairfidísThey would watch | Ní fhairfidísThey would not watch | An bhfairfidís?Would they watch? |
| saorbhriathar (autonomous) | D'fhairfí | Ní fhairfí | An bhfairfí? |
“Fair” 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 watch in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for to watch?
The Irish for to watch is fair (pronounced “far”). It is a first-conjugation verb; the verbal noun is faire.
What is the verbal noun of fair?
The verbal noun of fair is faire, used after ag for the continuous: ag faire (watching). The verbal adjective is fairthe.
How do you say fair in the past and the future?
Past: D'fhair mé; negative Níor fhair mé; question Ar fhair mé?. Future: Fairfidh mé; negative Ní fhairfidh mé; question An bhfairfidh mé?.
What is the modh coinníollach of fair?
The conditional (modh coinníollach) first person is D'fhairfinn (I would watch); negative Ní fhairfinn; question An bhfairfinn?.
Does fair have more than one meaning?
Yes. Fair can mean to watch, to wait for or to wake, depending on context; the first is the most common.
Does 'faire' also mean a wake?
Yes, the verbal noun 'faire' is also a noun meaning a watch or a wake for the dead, as in 'bhí faire air aréir' (he was waked last night).
What preposition is used with 'ag faire'?
Use 'ar': 'Bhí sé ag faire ar an teilifís' means he was watching the television, though 'féach ar' is more common for television.
