Irish/Verbs
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Spelling and Pronunciation - Grammar
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Verbs
edit
- TO DO: add lots of step-by-step examples, showing how to apply the rules
Regular Verbs
editThere are two categories of verbs in Irish, and you need to know which category a verb belongs to before you can conjugate it. Fortunately, it is very easy to remember the categories.
- Type 1 verbs (usually) have one syllable.
- Type 2 verbs (usually) have two syllables.
You also need to be able to tell if the verb ends in a broad or slender consonant. This means that you need to know four sets of endings, one for each of the following cases:
- Type 1 verbs ending in a broad consonant
- Type 1 verbs ending in a slender consonant
- Type 2 verbs ending in a broad consonant
- Type 2 verbs ending in a slender consonant
Or does it? Some people memorise it that way. Others memorise only two sets of endings, one set forType 1 verbs, one for Type 2 verbs, and then apply the "caol le caol agus leathan le leathan" rule. I myself find it easiest to memorise one set of endings, plus a small set of "middles", and then apply the "caol le caol agus leathan le leathan" rule. Whichever way you do it, you will get the same result. But if you find my system confusing, by all means ignore this and follow the method described by your book or teacher.
Here are the tables I used to learn how to conjugate verbs in Irish.
The stem of a regular verb is the imperative singular,
the form you use to give a command.
The format used in these summary tables is shown below.
| ending for 1st person singular |
ending for 1st person plural | ||
| ending for 2nd person singular |
ending for 2nd person plural | ||
| ending for 3rd person singular |
ending for 3rd person plural | ||
| ending for autonomous | |||
Colour Key
edit| Indicates synthetic forms, which express action + person + number in one word; they are not followed by a personal pronoun. |
| Indicates analytic forms, which must be followed by a personal pronoun. |
Present (Habitual)
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Type 1: stem + ... |
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Past
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Lenite, add d' before vowel or f,
except autonomous form. Type 2: stem + í + ... |
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Future
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Type 1: stem + f + ... |
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Imperfect (Past Habitual)
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Lenite, add d' before vowel or f. Type 1: stem + ... |
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Conditional
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Lenite, add d' before vowel or f. Type 1: stem + f + ... HINT: Most of the endings are the same as in the Imperfect (Past Habitual). |
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Imperative
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Type 1: stem + ... |
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Present Subjunctive
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Type 1: stem + ... HINT: Most of the endings are the same as in the future tense, but without -f-, -eo-, or -ó-. |
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Past Subjunctive
editSame endings as past habitual, but don't lenite, if the verb is not preceded by anything that could cause lenition (the conjunctions preceding past subjunctive usually eclipse, though). Past subjunctive is usually used after the
conjunctions dá (= dhá) "if", mura (=mara, mana, muna) "unless" and sula (= sara) "before". Conditional mood can be and is indeed usually used today instead of past subjunctive.
Direct relative
editExcept for combined forms:
Add broad s to present habitual and future
idh → (e)as
Verbal noun (general guidelines)
editType 1: stem + adh
Type 2: stem + ú
Verbs ending in -(e)áil: stem (no ending)
Verbs ending in slender l, n, r: stem + t
Verbal adjective
editType 1: stem + ta or te
Except: tha or the after b, c, f, g, m, p, r
Except: Drop bh or mh and add fa
Type 2: stem + ithe
Except: te after l, n, r (don't syncopate)
General Rules (for all tenses)
edit- ía → ío
- Drop a after á,ó,ú
- after slender consonant, ó → eo
- t(h) + t → t
- When an ending begins with a consonant, pad it with a vowel after the consonant, if needed to satisfy the
"caol le caol agus leathan le leathan</a>" rule.
Rules For Type I Verbs
edit- -áigh, -óigh, -úigh, -eoigh, -uaigh, drop (i)gh and use broad f and slender t in verb endings.
- -éigh, drop (i)gh and use slender f and slender t in verb endings.
- -igh alone or after short vowel, drop gh, i → í (except before t), and use slender f and slender t in verb endings... except for the verb "faigh".
- áil → ál unless ending begins with t
Rules For Type II Verbs
edit- If ending has an initial vowel, drop last syllable:
- drop (a)igh
- drop (a)i before final l, n, r, s
Examples for Regular Verbs
editglan (clean) -Type 1 (Broad ending)
Present An nglanann tú? Glanaim/Ní ghlanaim Past Ar ghlan tú? Ghlan (mé)/Níor ghlan Future An nglanfaidh tú? Glanfaidh/Ní ghlanfaidh Conditional An nglanfá? Ghlanfainn/Ní ghlanfainn Imperfect An nglantá? Ghlannainn/Ní ghlanainn Pres. Subjunctive An nglana tú? Go nglana mé/Nár ghlana
cuir (put) -Type 1 (Slender ending)
Present An gcuireann tú? Cuirim/Ní chuirim Past Ar chuir tú? Chuir (mé)/Níor chuir Future An gcuirfidh tú? Cuirfidh/Ní chuirfidh Conditional An gcuirfeá? Chuirfinn/Ní chuirfinn Imperfect An gcuirteá? Chuirinn/Ní chuirinn Pres. Subjunctive An gcuire tú? Go gcuire mé/Nár chuire
ceannaigh (buy) -Type 2 (Broad ending)
Present An gceannaíonn tú? Ceannaím/Ní cheannaím Past Ar cheannaigh tú? Cheannaigh (mé)/Níor cheannaigh Future An gceannóidh tú? Ceannóidh/Ní cheannóidh Conditional An gceannófá? Cheannóinn/Ní cheannóinn Imperfect An gceannaíteá? Cheannaínn/Ní cheanaínn Pres. Subjunctive An gceanaí tú? Go gceannaí mé/Nár cheanna
Irregular Verbs
editIrish only has a handful of irregular verbs, so breathe a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, as with most languages, the most commonly used verbs are irregular. So the sooner you face them, the better.
If you look up the irregular verbs in your foclóir, you may see a big
conjugation table and assume you'll have to memorise the whole thing.
Wrong! It's really much easier than that.
It will help if you remember this guiding principle, which may not be obvious to the beginner:
- The irregular verbs use the same endings as the regular verbs; it is the stem that changes.
There are a few exceptions, of course.
One very good way to learn these verbs is simply to read this list of questions and answers, out loud, once a day for a week or two. After that, you will find that you know most of them without having made an effort to memorise. Then you can focus on the particular ones that give you trouble.
abair (say)
present An ndeir tú? Deirim/Ní deirim past An ndúirt tú? Dúirt/Ní dúirt future An ndéarfaidh tú? Déarfaidh/Ní déarfaidh
beir (catch, give birth to)
present An mbeireann tú? Beirim/Ní bheirim past Ar rug tú? Rug/Níor rug future An mbéarfaidh tú? Béarfaidh/Ní bhéarfaidh
clois (hear)
present An gcloiseann tú? Cloisim/Ní chloisim past Ar chuala tú? Chuala/Níor chuala future An gcloisfidh tú? Cloisfidh/Ní chloisfidh
cluin (hear)
present An gcluineann tú? Cluinim/Ní chluinim past Ar chuala tú? Chuala/Níor chuala future An gcluinfidh tú? Cluinfidh/Ní chluinfidh
déan (make, do)
present An ndéanann tú? Déanaim/Ní dhéanaim past An ndearna tú? Rinne/Ní dhearna future An ndéanfaidh tú? Déanfaidh/Ní dhéanfaidh
faigh (get)
present An bhfaigheann tú? Faighim/Ní fhaighim past An bhfuair tú? Fuair/Ní bhfuair future An bhfaighidh tú? Gheobhaidh/Ní bhfaighidh
feic (see)
present An bhfeiceann tú? Feicim (Chím in Ulster)/Ní fheicim past An bhfaca tú? Chonaic/Ní fhaca future An bhfeicfidh tú? Feicfidh (Chífidh in Ulster)/Ní fheicfidh
ith (eat)
present An itheann tú? Ithim /Ní ithim past Ar ith tú? D'ith/Níor ith future An íosfaidh tú? Íosfaidh/Ní íosfaidh
tabhair (give)
present An dtugann tú? Tugaim /Ní thugaim past Ar thug tú? Thug/Níor thug future An dtabharfaidh tú? Tabharfaidh/Ní thabharfaidh
tar (come)
present An dtagann tú? Tagaim /Ní thagaim past Ar tháinig tú? Tháinig/Níor tháinig future An dtiocfaidh tú? Tiocfaidh/Ní thiocfaidh
téigh (go)
present An dtéann tú? Téim /Ní théim past An ndeachaigh tú? Chuaigh/Ní dheachaigh future An rachaidh tú? Rachaidh/Ní rachaidh
bí (be)
present An bhfuil tú? Tá (or Táim)/Níl (or Nílim) Pres(Habitual)An mbíonn tú? Bím/Ní bhím past An raibh tú? Bhí/Ní raibh future An mbeidh tú? Beidh/Ní bheidh