We have previously seen that in the simple past tense, verbs that begin with consonants take séimhiú, and those that begin with vowel sounds take the prefix d’. As for why they do:
Historically, Irish once placed the word do before past tense verbs. As we know, do causes séimhiú or adds the prefix d’ to its proceeding word. For example, in modern Irish we have do (your):
Do theach (your house)
D’ostán (your hotel)
D’fhón (your phone)
Today, we can still see the effects of do:
(Do) chuir mé m’fhón isteach
I put my phone inside
D’ól mé aréir
I drank last night
D’fhéach mé ar an leabhar
I looked at the book
Do is now omitted in all dialects except Munster, but we can still observe remnants of it since verbs beginning with vowel sounds continue to take the prefix.
The impersonal form, also referred to as the autonomous or passive form, is used when there is no specific actor mentioned in a sentence. In fact, the Irish for it is quite telling: saorbhriathar literally means free verb, and you can see exactly why:
Popcorn is sold here
There is no specific party who sells the popcorn here. As such, a special verb form is often used. In the Butt Gaeilge reference sheets for irregular verbs, you will find the passive forms for each irregular verb.
An nduradh é?
Is it said?
Táthar saibhir anseo
People are rich here
This post will cover the impersonal forms for regular verbs.
Present Tense
Díoltar grán rósta anseo
Popcorn is sold here
One syllable
Polysyllabic
Slender
-tear
-ítear
Broad
-tar
-aítear
Past Tense
Gortaíodh Macdara
Macdara was injured
One syllable
Polysyllabic
Slender
-eadh
-íodh
Broad
-adh
-aíodh
Future Tense
Caithfear dul abhaile anocht
One must go home tonight
One syllable
Polysyllabic
Slender
-fear
-eofar
Broad
-far
-ófar
Imperfect (Habitual Past) Tense
If something was done habitually in the past, i.e. She ran daily.
Recap: Introduction on Habitual Tenses
One syllable
Polysyllabic
Slender
-tí
-ítí
Broad
-taí
-aítí
Conditional Mood
The conditional mood refers to a hypothetical state, an uncertain event, or one that depends on a specific set of circumstances. i.e. I would love.
Recap: The Conditional Mood
One syllable
Polysyllabic
Slender
-fí
-eofaí
Broad
-faí
-ófaí
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood conveys the idea of wishing something. As it is archaic and no longer used, the passive verb follows simple present and past tenses.
Recap: The Subjunctive Mood
The Imperative
This refers to an instruction or command and follows the simple present tense.
Recap: The Imperative Mood
When an impersonal form isn’t used
Certain expressions and idioms may not use impersonal forms, instead simply omitting the actor. Compare the following pairs of active and passive forms:
Is féidir liom é a dhéanamh
Is féidir é sin a dhéanamh
Teastaíonn níos mó uainn
Teastaíonn níos mó
D’éirigh liom san obair
D’éirigh leis an obair
Other times the impersonal form is used
The impersonal form can be used with feic to say “it seems to”:
Feictear dom
It seems to me
It is also used as a euphemism when someone passes away, “was lost”, because no actor actually lost anything:
Cailleadh Séamas anuraidh
Séamas was lost last year
Try it
Make the following statements passive:
1. Labhraíonn daoine Gaeilge anseo.
2. An raibh daoine ag an gcóisir?
3. Beidh duine éigin maraigh tú.
4. Tá daoine míshásta.
Hover below for answers
1. Labhraítear Gaeilge anseo.
2. An rabhthas ag an gcóisir?
3. Marófar thú.
4. Táthar míshásta.
Téigh is an irregular verb meaning ‘to go’; and below are how some of its simple tenses differ from standard sentence constructions and verb conjugations.
Verbal Noun
A verbal noun is a noun formed from or otherwise corresponding to a verb. So "saying", "singing" and so on as a noun would form the verbal noun. The verbal noun for teigh is dul.
Past Tense
For statements, chuaigh is used.
For questions and negative statements, téigh has the dependent form deachaigh.
Also note that since téigh has a dependent past form, an and ní are used instead of ar and níor, and nach and go are used instead of nár and gur even in the past tense.
Future Tense
Rachaidh is used.
Summary
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Statement
Question
Negative
Téann
An dtéann
Ní théann
Chuaigh
An ndeachaigh
Ní dheachaigh
Rachaidh
An rachaidh
Ní rachaidh
Butt Gaeilge’s Téigh table with example sentences in all tenses
Tar is an irregular verb meaning ‘to come’; the below outlines how it strays from standard sentence constructions and verb conjugations.
Verbal Noun
A verbal noun is a noun formed from or otherwise corresponding to a verb. So "saying", "singing" and so on as a noun would form the verbal noun. The verbal noun for tar is teacht.
The Imperative
Tagaigí is used to instruct several people.
Present Tense
Tagann is used.
Past Tense
For statements, tháinig is used.
Munster Irish
In Munster, no suffix is used when referring to the first person in the past tense:
Thánag, thána = thángas, tháinig mé
Future Tense
Tiocfaidh is used.
Summary
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Statement
Question
Negative
Tagann
An dtagann
Ní thagann
Tháinig
Ar tháinig
Níor tháinig
Tiocfaidh
An dtiocfaidh
Ní thiocfaidh
Butt Gaeilge’s Tar table with example sentences in all tenses
Tabhair is an irregular verb meaning ‘to give’; here is how its simple tenses differ from standard sentence constructions and verb conjugations.
Verbal Noun
A verbal noun is a noun formed from or otherwise corresponding to a verb. So "saying", "singing" and so on as a noun would form the verbal noun. The verbal noun for tabhair is tabhairt.
The Imperative
Tugaidí is used to instruct several people.
Present Tense
Tugann is used.
Past Tense
For statements, thug is used.
Future Tense
Tabharfaidh is used.
Summary
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Statement
Question
Negative
Tugann
An dtugann
Ní thugann
Thug
Ar thug
Níor thug
Tabharfaidh
An dtabharfaidh
Ní thabharfaidh
Butt Gaeilge’s Tabhair table with example sentences in all tenses
Ith is an irregular verb meaning ‘to eat’; some rules differ from standard sentence constructions and verb conjugations.
Verbal Noun
A verbal noun is a noun formed from or otherwise corresponding to a verb. So "saying", "singing" and so on as a noun would form the verbal noun. The verbal noun for ith is ithe.
Past Tense
D'ith is used.
Also note that since ith has a dependent past form, an and ní are used instead of ar and níor, and nach and go are used instead of nár and gur even in the past tense.
Future Tense
Íosfaidh is used.
Summary
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Statement
Question
Negative
Itheann
An itheann
Ní itheann
D'ith
Ar ith
Níor ith
Íosfaidh
An íosfaidh
Ní íosfaidh
Butt Gaeilge’s Ith table with example sentences in all tenses
Feic is an irregular verb meaning ‘to see’; compare its feicin' rules to standard sentence constructions and verb conjugations.
Verbal Noun
A verbal noun is a noun formed from or otherwise corresponding to a verb. So "saying", "singing" and so on as a noun would form the verbal noun. The verbal noun for feic is feiceáil, and in Munster, feiscint.
Present Tense
The special forms tchím, tchí(onn) sé (or tí(onn) sé) are often seen in Donegal Irish. In Munster, the forms chím and chíonn sé remain.
This special (but archaic) form was used as an absolute form of feic. The absolute form simply refers to a concept that is complete on its own. For example, ‘I see’. It does not need something else to complete the concept.
Post on the special chí form
Past Tense
For statements, chonaic is used.
And for questions and negative statements, the distinct dependent form faca is used. Also note that since feic has a dependent past form, an and ní are used instead of ar and níor, and nach and go are used instead of nár and gur even in the past tense.
Munster Irish
In Munster, no suffix is used when referring to the first person in the past tense:
Chonac = chonaic mé, chonaiceas
Future Tense
This would be chífidh in Ulster, standard conjugation everywhere else.
Summary
Statement
Question
Negative
Present Tense
Feiceann
An bhfeiceann
Ní fheiceann
Past Tense
Chonaic
An bhfaca
Ní fhaca
Future Tense
Feicfidh
An bhfeicfidh
Ní bhfeicfidh
Butt Gaeilge’s Feic table with example sentences in all tenses
Faigh is an irregular verb meaning ‘to get’; and here are the ways it deviates from standard sentence constructions and verb conjugations.
Verbal Noun
A verbal noun is a noun formed from or otherwise corresponding to a verb. So "saying", "singing" and so on as a noun would form the verbal noun. The verbal noun for faigh is fáil, which you might see in the set phrase "ar fáil", meaning available.
Past Tense
For statements, fuair is used.
And for questions and negative statements, note that fuair always takes urú:
An bhfuair tú é sin?
Ní bhfuair mé é sin.
Also note that since faigh has a unique dependent form, an and ní are used instead of ar and níor, and nach and go are used instead of nár and gur even in the past tense.
Future Tense
For statements, gheobhaidh is used.
Gheobhaidh mé é.
For questions and negative statements, the dependent form is different (faighfidh) and takes urú:
An bhfaighfidh tú é?
Ní bhfaighfidh mé.
Summary
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Statement
Question
Negative
Faigheann
An bhfaigheann
Ní fhaigheann
Fuair
An bhfuair
Ní bhfuair
Gheobhaidh
An bhfaighidh
Ní bhfaighidh
Butt Gaeilge’s Faigh table with example sentences in all tenses
