thig
/hikʲ/
The Gaelic verb for 'come' is thig.
thig is used to express the action of arriving or appearing.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Munster dialect, the phrase tar amach is used informally to express 'come out'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form thig is used to express the future tense, meaning 'will come'.
How do you pronounce it?
/hikʲ/
Did you know?
- In the Munster dialect, the phrase tar amach is used to invite someone out, but it can also be used as a challenge in a confrontation.
- The word thig is a descendant of the Old Irish ticc, which was a prototonic form of do·icc.
- While 'come' is a verb of motion, in Gaelic, it is also the standard way to describe the onset of an illness or a feeling.
Examples in context
- Tha mi an dùil a thighinn.I expect to come.This sentence demonstrates the use of thig to express an expectation of coming.Tatoeba #1515904 by Cainntear, translation #317359 by CK
- Thig an t-acras na 's tric no aon-uair.Hunger will come more than once.This sentence uses thig to describe hunger arriving/coming.Tatoeba #5745632 by Catriona, translation #5745636 by Catriona
- Thig Tòmas a dh'Astràilia an-ath-bhliadhna.Tom will come to Australia next year.This sentence shows thig used to indicate someone will come to a destination in the future.Tatoeba #5881638 by Catriona, translation #5881639 by Catriona
- Tar isteach!Come in!
- Tar amach!Come out!
- Tar anseo!Come here!
- Tar go dtí an doras!Come to the door!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Finlay and Mairead are waiting for a friend at a cafe.
- FinlayAn thig e a thểireamh?Will he come soon?
- MaireadThig e an seo gu luath.He will come here quickly.
- FinlayTha mi an dòchas gum thig e.I hope that he comes.
- MaireadThig e a dh'aithris an latha anòra.He will come back today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “come” translations and entries thig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries thig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
