Dictionary Look-up Word
can
Nominal Forms
Verbal Adjective
canta
Verbal Noun
canadh
Present
Affirmative
Only the verb
bí 'to be' is conjugated in this tense.
Negative
Only the verb
bí 'to be' is conjugated in this tense.
Present
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | canaim |
| Sg.2 | canann tú |
| Sg.3m | canann sé |
| Sg.3f | canann sí |
| Pl.1 | canaimid; canann muid |
| Pl.2 | canann sibh |
| Pl.3 | canann siad |
| Passive | cantar |
Negative
| Sg.1 | ní chanaim |
| Sg.2 | ní chanann tú |
| Sg.3m | ní chanann sé |
| Sg.3f | ní chanann sí |
| Pl.1 | ní chanaimid; ní chanann muid |
| Pl.2 | ní chanann sibh |
| Pl.3 | ní chanann siad |
| Passive | ní chantar |
Past
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | chan mé |
| Sg.2 | chan tú |
| Sg.3m | chan sé |
| Sg.3f | chan sí |
| Pl.1 | chanamar; chan muid |
| Pl.2 | chan sibh |
| Pl.3 | chan siad; chanadar |
| Passive | canadh |
Negative
| Sg.1 | níor chan mé |
| Sg.2 | níor chan tú |
| Sg.3m | níor chan sé |
| Sg.3f | níor chan sí |
| Pl.1 | níor chanamar; níor chan muid |
| Pl.2 | níor chan sibh |
| Pl.3 | níor chan siad; níor chanadar |
| Passive | níor canadh |
Past Continuous
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | chanainn |
| Sg.2 | chantá |
| Sg.3m | chanadh sé |
| Sg.3f | chanadh sí |
| Pl.1 | chanaimis; chanadh muid |
| Pl.2 | chanadh sibh |
| Pl.3 | chanaidís; chanadh siad |
| Passive | chantaí |
Negative
| Sg.1 | ní chanainn |
| Sg.2 | ní chantá |
| Sg.3m | ní chanadh sé |
| Sg.3f | ní chanadh sí |
| Pl.1 | ní chanaimis; ní chanadh muid |
| Pl.2 | ní chanadh sibh |
| Pl.3 | ní chanaidís; ní chanadh siad |
| Passive | ní chantaí |
Future
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | canfaidh mé |
| Sg.2 | canfaidh tú |
| Sg.3m | canfaidh sé |
| Sg.3f | canfaidh sí |
| Pl.1 | canfaimid; canfaidh muid |
| Pl.2 | canfaidh sibh |
| Pl.3 | canfaidh siad |
| Passive | canfar |
Negative
| Sg.1 | ní chanfaidh mé |
| Sg.2 | ní chanfaidh tú |
| Sg.3m | ní chanfaidh sé |
| Sg.3f | ní chanfaidh sí |
| Pl.1 | ní chanfaimid; ní chanfaidh muid |
| Pl.2 | ní chanfaidh sibh |
| Pl.3 | ní chanfaidh siad |
| Passive | ní chanfar |
Conditional
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | chanfainn |
| Sg.2 | chanfá |
| Sg.3m | chanfadh sé |
| Sg.3f | chanfadh sí |
| Pl.1 | chanfaimis; chanfadh muid |
| Pl.2 | chanfadh sibh |
| Pl.3 | chanfaidís; chanfadh siad |
| Passive | chanfaí |
Negative
| Sg.1 | ní chanfainn |
| Sg.2 | ní chanfá |
| Sg.3m | ní chanfadh sé |
| Sg.3f | ní chanfadh sí |
| Pl.1 | ní chanfaimis; ní chanfadh muid |
| Pl.2 | ní chanfadh sibh |
| Pl.3 | ní chanfaidís; ní chanfadh siad |
| Passive | ní chanfaí |
Imperative
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | canaim |
| Sg.2 | can |
| Sg.3m | canadh sé |
| Sg.3f | canadh sí |
| Pl.1 | canaimis; canadh muid |
| Pl.2 | canaigí |
| Pl.3 | canaidís; canadh siad |
| Passive | cantar |
Negative
| Sg.1 | ná canaim |
| Sg.2 | ná can |
| Sg.3m | ná canadh sé |
| Sg.3f | ná canadh sí |
| Pl.1 | ná canaimis; ná canadh muid |
| Pl.2 | ná canaigí |
| Pl.3 | ná canaidís; ná canadh siad |
| Passive | ná cantar |
Subjunctive
Affirmative
| Sg.1 | go gcana mé |
| Sg.2 | go gcana tú |
| Sg.3m | go gcana sé |
| Sg.3f | go gcana sí |
| Pl.1 | go gcanaimid; go gcana muid |
| Pl.2 | go gcana sibh |
| Pl.3 | go gcana siad |
| Passive | go gcantar |
Negative
| Sg.1 | nár chana mé |
| Sg.2 | nár chana tú |
| Sg.3m | nár chana sé |
| Sg.3f | nár chana sí |
| Pl.1 | nár chanaimid; nár chana muid |
| Pl.2 | nár chana sibh |
| Pl.3 | nár chana siad |
| Passive | nár chantar |
Sample Sentences
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Up in the lighthouse, under twinkling stars, Bronach sings the Song of the Sea to her five-year-old son, Ben. [2015 [2014], Will Collins, translated by Proinsias Mac a' Bhaird, edited by Maura McHugh, Amhrán na Mara (fiction; paperback), Kilkenny, County Kilkenny; Howth, Dublin: Cartoon Saloon; Coiscéim, translation of Song of the Sea (in English), →ISBN, page 1:]
Verbs conjugated like can
adhmhol,
ainéal,
amúch,
athchas,
athchraol,
athdhíon,
athghlan,
athghléas,
athlas,
athlíon,
athphós,
athraon,
athsheol,
athshon,
beibheal,
beophian,
blogh,
bronn,
bréan,
brón, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Etymology
From Old Irish canaid, from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian خواندن (xândan). See: Old Irish '
canaid', Welsh '
canu', Latin '
cano'.
Translations
chant, sing monophonically without instruments
sing, to produce harmonious sounds with one’s voice