bí ag súil
/bʲiː ə sˠuːlʲ/word by word
To hope in Irish can be expressed as bí ag súil or bí i ndóchas.
Meaning: to want something to happen, with expectation that it might (verb)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA |
|---|---|
| bí ag súil | /bʲiː ə sˠuːlʲ/ (word by word) |
| bí i ndóchas |
The verb 'to hope' is expressed through two different verbal idioms depending on whether you are focusing on the expectation of an event or a general state of mind. Related nouns include dóchas, súil and dúil, which all refer to the belief that something wished for can happen.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bí ag súil is literally 'to be at expecting', while bí i ndóchas is literally 'to be in hope'.
Which one should you use?
Bí ag súil focuses more on the active expectation of a specific event, whereas bí i ndóchas describes a state of being hopeful.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/bʲiː ə sˠuːlʲ/
Did you know?
- The word súil is derived from a Proto-Celtic term meaning 'two suns'. This indicates that the concept of 'seeing' and 'light' are deeply linked in the language's history.
- In Irish, the concept of 'expecting' is tied to the word súil, which literally means 'eye'.
- The word dúil is a relative of súil and can also be used to express a desire or a wish.
Example sentences for Irish are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hope” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bí, ag, súil) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ag, bí, súil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
