Irish/Verbs

Verbs

 * TO DO: add lots of step-by-step examples, showing how to apply the rules

Regular Verbs
There 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.

Past Subjunctive
Same 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
Except for combined forms: Add broad s to present habitual and future idh → (e)as

Verbal noun (general guidelines)
Type 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
Type 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)
"caol le caol agus leathan le leathan" rule.
 * 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

Rules For Type I Verbs

 * -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

 * 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
glan (clean) -Type 1 (Broad ending)

Present          '''An nglanann tú? Glanaim/'Ní ghlan''aim Past             '''Ar ghlan tú? Ghlan (mé)/Níor ghlan''' Future           '''An nglanfaidh tú? Glanfaidh/'Ní ghlan''faidh Conditional      '''An nglanfá? Ghlanfainn/'Ní ghlan''fainn Imperfect        '''An nglantá? Ghlannainn/'Ní ghlan''ainn Pres. Subjunctive '''An nglana tú? Go nglana mé/Nár ghlana'''

cuir (put) -Type 1 (Slender ending)

Present          '''An gcuireann tú? Cuirim/'Ní chuir''im Past             '''Ar chuir tú? Chuir (mé)/Níor chuir''' Future           '''An gcuirfidh tú? Cuirfidh/'Ní chuir''fidh Conditional      '''An gcuirfeá? Chuirfinn/'Ní chuir''finn Imperfect        '''An gcuirteá? Chuirinn/'Ní chuir''inn Pres. Subjunctive '''An gcuire tú? Go gcuire mé/Nár chuire'''

ceannaigh (buy) -Type 2 (Broad ending)

Present          '''An gceannaíonn tú? Ceannaím/'Ní cheann''aím Past             '''Ar cheannaigh tú? Cheannaigh (mé)/Níor cheannaigh''' Future           '''An gceannóidh tú? Ceannóidh/'Ní cheann''óidh Conditional      '''An gceannófá? Cheannóinn/'Ní cheann''óinn Imperfect        '''An gceannaíteá? Cheannaínn/'Ní chean''aínn Pres. Subjunctive '''An gceanaí tú? Go gceannaí mé/Nár cheanna'''

Irregular Verbs
Irish 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'''