Irish conjugation

Irish verb forms are constructed either synthetically or analytically.

Synthetic forms are those which express the information about person and number in the ending: e.g. [molaim] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I praise", where the ending -aim stands for "1st person singular present". In this case, a pronoun is not allowed: [* molaim mé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is ungrammatical.

Analytic forms are those whose endings contain no information about person and number, and a pronoun is necessary: e.g. [molann sibh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "you (pl.) praise", where the ending -ann expresses only the present tense, and the pronoun [sibh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "you" (pl.) must accompany it in order to express "2nd person plural".

In addition to the three persons, Irish also has an impersonal form (also called the "autonomous" form), which is used in forming passives and can conveniently be translated with "one" or "someone" as the subject. Shown below are the distribution of synthetic and analytic forms in the standard language; in the dialects, other patterns may be found.

See Irish orthography for a discussion of how verb endings are pronounced.

Regular verbs

There are two conjugation classes of regular verbs, as illustrated below. Note that in the "historical" tenses (the imperfect, preterite, and conditional), a consonant-initial stem undergoes lenition, while a vowel-initial stem is prefixed by d’. A stem beginning with f plus vowel takes both, e.g. [fan] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "wait", [d'fhan sé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "he waited". (Exception: the preterite impersonal neither undergoes lenition nor receives d’.)

First conjugation

Present

In the present tense of the 1st conjugation, endings are added directly to the root. Only the 1st person singular and plural and the impersonal have synthetic endings. Otherwise the analytic ending -(e)ann is used in combination with a pronoun.

	Endings	"praise"	"understand"
1sg	-(a)im	molaim	tuigim
1pl	-(a)imid	molaimid	tuigimid
Impersonal	-t(e)ar	moltar	tuigtear
Analytic	-(e)ann	molann	tuigeann

Forms like [molann muid] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [tuigeann muid] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) instead of [molaimid] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [tuigimid] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) are frequently encountered but do not technically belong to the standard language. On the other hand, Munster Irish uses [molair] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [molaid] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) instead of [molann tú] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [molann siad] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help).

Imperfect (habitual past)

Synthetic endings are used except in the 3rd person singular, 2nd person plural, and impersonal. Otherwise the analytic form is used in conjunction with a pronoun.

	Endings	"used to praise"	"used to understand"
1sg	-(a)inn	mholainn	thuiginn
2sg	-t(e)á	mholtá	thuigteá
1pl	-(a)imis	mholaimis	thuigimis
3pl	-(a)idís	mholaidís	thuigidís
Impersonal	-t(a)í	mholtaí	thuigtí
Analytic	-(e)adh	mholadh	thuigeadh

Preterite

The analytic form, used together with a pronoun for all persons except the 1st person plural and the impersonal, has a zero ending.

	Endings	"praised"	"understood"
1pl	-(e)amar	mholamar	thuigeamar
Impersonal	-(e)adh	moladh	tuigeadh
Analytic	∅	mhol	thuig

Future

The future stem is formed by adding f (pronounced [h] except in the impersonal) to the root. Synthetic endings exist only for the 1st person plural and impersonal.

	Endings	"will praise"	"will understand"
1pl	-f(a)imid	molfaimid	tuigfimid
Impersonal	-f(e)ar	molfar	tuigfear
Analytic	-f(a)idh	molfaidh	tuigfidh

Conditional

The conditional is formed by taking the stem of the future tense (f, pronounced /h/ except in the 2nd person singular and the impersonal) and adding endings similar to the imperfect.

	Endings	"would praise"	"would understand"
1sg	-f(a)inn	mholfainn	thuigfinn
2sg	-f(e)á	mholfá	thuigfeá
1pl	-f(a)imis	mholfaimis	thuigfimis
3pl	-f(a)idís	mholfaidís	thuigfidís
Impersonal	-f(a)í	mholfaí	thuigfí
Analytic	-f(e)adh	mholfadh	thuigfeadh

Imperative

Singular: simple root	Plural: root + -(a)igí
mol! "praise!" (sg.)	molaigí! "praise!" (pl.)
tuig! "understand!" (sg.)	tuigigí! "understand!" (pl.)

Second conjugation

Present

In the second conjugation, the present stem ends in -(a)í-, to which are added the synthetic or analytic endings. Roots ending in a slender consonant (e.g. [inis] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "to tell") undergo syncope before the addition of -í-.

The root [beannaigh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "to bless" has the present tense stem beannaí-
The root [inis] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "to tell" has the present tense stem insí-

The endings are the same as in the 1st conjugation, but without the -(a)i- vowel found there.

	Endings	"bless"	"tell"
1sg	-(a)ím	beannaím	insím
1pl	-(a)ímid	beannaímid	insímid
Impersonal	-(a)ítear	beannaítear	insítear
Analytic	-(a)íonn	beannaíonn	insíonn

Imperfect (habitual past)

The endings of the imperfect (again the same as in the 1st conjugation, but without the -(a)i- vowel) are added to the present stem.

	Endings	"used to bless"	"used to tell"
1sg	-(a)ínn	bheannaínn	d'insínn
2sg	-(a)íteá	bheannaíteá	d'insíteá
1pl	-(a)ímis	bheannaímis	d'insímis
3pl	-(a)ídís	bheannaídís	d'insídís
Impersonal	-(a)ítí	bheannaítí	d'insítí
Analytic	-(a)íodh	bheannaíodh	d'insíodh

Preterite

As in the first conjugation, the bare root is used as the analytic form. The synthetic forms of the 1st plural and the impersonal attach

their ending to the present stem.

	Endings	"blessed"	"told"
1pl	-(a)íomar	bheannaíomar	d'insíomar
Impersonal	-(a)íodh	beannaíodh	insíodh
Analytic	∅	bheannaigh	d'inis

Future

The future stem consists of the root followed by the suffix -ó-/-eo-. This -ó-/-eo- replaces the -(a)í- of the present tense. The endings are almost as in the 1st conjugation. Synthetic endings are found only in the 1st person plural and the impersonal.

	Endings	"will bless"	"will tell"
1pl	-óimid/-eoimid	beannóimid	inseoimid
Impersonal	-ófar/-eofar	beannófar	inseofar
Analytic	-óidh/-eoidh	beannóidh	inseoidh

Conditional

As in the 1st conjugation, the conditional is formed by adding endings similar to those of the imperfect to the future stem.

	Endings	"would bless"	"would tell"
1sg	-óinn/-eoinn	bheannóinn	d'inseoinn
2sg	-ófá/-eofá	bheannófá	d'inseofá
1pl	-óimis/-eoimis	bheannóimis	d'inseoimis
3pl	-óidís/-eoidís	bheannóidís	d'inseoidís
Impersonal	-ófaí/-eofaí	bheannófaí	d'inseofaí
Analytic	-ódh/-eodh	beannódh	d'inseodh

Imperative

Singular: simple root	Plural: present stem + ending -gí
beannaigh! "bless!"	beannaígí! "bless!" (pl.)
inis! "tell!"	insígí! "tell!" (pl.)

Irregular verbs

There are eleven irregular verbs in Irish. Most of them are characterized by suppletion, that is, different roots are used to form different tenses. Analytic forms are indicated by the symbol +. The preterites of many irregular verbs take the nonpreterite forms of preverbal particles, e.g. [an] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (interrogative particle) and [ní] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (negative particle), instead of [ar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (pret. interrogative particle) and [níor] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (pret. negative particle). Some verbs have different independent and dependent forms in certain tenses; the independent forms are used when no particle precedes the verb, and also after [má] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "if" (open conditional) and the direct relative particle [a] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), while the dependent forms are used after all other particles.

abair "to say"

The d- in this verb is not lenited.

Present	deir +, deirim, deirimid, deirtear
Imperfect	deireadh + etc.
Preterite	dúirt +, dúramar, dúradh. (an/ní dúirt + etc.)
Future	déarfaidh + etc.
Conditional	déarfadh + etc.
Imperative	abair, abraigí
Verbal noun	rá

beir "to carry"

Present	beireann + etc. (regular)
Imperfect	bheireadh + etc. (regular)
Preterite	rug +, rugamar, rugadh. (ar/níor rug + etc.)
Future	béarfaidh + etc.
Conditional	bhéarfadh + etc.
Imperative	beir, beirigí
Verbal noun	beirthe

bí "to be"

Present	independent	tá +, táim (also tá mé), táimid, táthar
	dependent¹	fuil +, fuilim (also fuil mé), fuilimid
Habitual present		bíonn +, bím, bímid, bítear
Imperfect		bhíodh +, bhínn, bhíteá, bhímis, bhídís, bhítí
Preterite	independent	bhí +, bhíomar, bhíothas
	dependent	(an/ní) raibh +, rabhamar, rabhthas
Future		beidh +, beimid, beifear
Conditional		bheadh +, bheinn, bheifeá, bheimis, bheidís, bheifí
Imperative		bí, bígí
Verbal noun		bheith

¹ The negative particle ní lenites fuil to fhuil; the two are then fused to form níl +; cf. also nílim, nílimid, and níltear.

clois/cluin "to hear"

Present	cloiseann + etc. (regular)/cluineann + etc. (regular)
Imperfect	chloiseadh + etc. (regular)/chluineadh etc. (regular)
Preterite	chuala +, chualamar, chualathas. (ar/níor chuala + etc.)
Future	cloisfidh + etc. (regular)/cluinfidh + etc. (regular)
Conditional	chloisfeadh + etc. (regular)/chluinfeadh + etc. (regular)
Imperative	clois, cloisigí/cluin, cluinigí
Verbal noun	cloisteáil/cluinstin

déan "to do, to make"

Present		déanann + etc. (regular)
Imperfect		dhéanadh + etc. (regular)
Preterite	independent	rinne +, rinneamar, rinneadh
	dependent	dearna +, dearnamar, dearnadh (an ndearna/ní dhearna + etc.)
Future		déanfaidh + etc. (regular)
Conditional		dhéanfadh + etc. (regular)
Imperative		déan, déanaigí
Verbal noun		déanamh

faigh "to receive, to find"

The f- in this verb is eclipsed rather than lenited after ní.

Present		faigheann + etc. (regular)
Imperfect		d'fhaigheadh + etc. (regular)
Preterite		fuair +, fuaireamar, fuarthas. (an/ní bhfuair + etc.)
Future	independent	gheobhaidh +, gheobhaimid, gheofar
	dependent	faighidh +, faighimid, faighfear (an/ní bhfaighidh + etc.)
Conditional	independent	gheobhadh +, gheobhainn, gheofá, gheobhaimis, gheofaí
	dependent	faigheadh +, faighinn, faighfeá, faighimis, faighfí (an/ní bhfaigheadh + etc.)
Imperative		faigh, faighigí
Verbal noun		fáil

feic "to see"

Present		feiceann + etc. (regular)
Imperfect		d'fheiceadh + etc. (regular)
Preterite	independent	chonaic +, chonaiceamar, chonacthas
	dependent	faca +, facamar, facthas (an bhfaca/ní fhaca)
Future		feicfidh + etc. (regular)
Conditional		d'fheicfeadh + etc. (regular)
Imperative		feic, feicigí
Verbal noun		feiceáil

ith "to eat"

Present	itheann + etc. (regular)
Imperfect	d'itheadh + etc. (regular)
Preterite	d'ith + etc. (regular) (ar/níor ith + etc.)
Future	íosfaidh + etc.
Conditional	d'íosfadh + etc.
Imperative	ith, ithigí
Verbal noun	ithe

tabhair "to give, to bring"

Present	tugann + etc.
Imperfect	thugadh + etc.
Preterite	thug + etc. (ar/níor thug)
Future	tabharfaidh + etc.
Conditional	thabharfadh + etc.
Imperative	tabhair, tugaigí
Verbal noun	tabhairt

tar "to come"

Present	tagann + etc.
Imperfect	thagadh + etc.
Preterite	tháinig +, thángamar, thángthas (ar/níor tháinig)
Future	tiocfaidh + etc.
Conditional	thiocfadh + etc.
Imperative	tar, tagaigí
Verbal noun	teacht

téigh "to go"

Present		téann +, téim, téimid, téitear
Imperfect		théadh +, théinn, théiteá, théimis, théidís, théití
Preterite	independent	chuaigh +, chuamar, chuathas
	dependent	deachaigh +, deachamar, deachthas (an ndeachaigh +/ní dheachaigh + etc.)
Future		rachaidh +, rachaimid, rachfar
Conditional		rachadh +, rachainn, rachfá, rachaimis, rachaidís, rachfaí
Imperative		téigh, téigí
Verbal noun		dul

Verbal nouns

Formation of the verbal noun

Irish has no infinitive and uses instead the verbal noun. The verbal noun can be formed using different strategies (mostly suffixes). The most common of these are:

Suffix -adh, e.g. [bog] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "soften" : [bogadh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -áil, e.g. [fág] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "leave" : [fágáil] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -ú, e.g. [ardaigh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "lift" : [ardú] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -amh, e.g. [caith] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "spend" : [caitheamh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -t, e.g. [cosain] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "defend" : [cosaint] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -úint, e.g [lean] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "follow" : [leanúint] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Slender consonant is made broad, e.g. [coisc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "prevent" : [cosc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -ach, e.g. [ceannaigh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "buy" : [ceannach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix nothing, e.g. [ól] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "drink" : [ól] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -cht, e.g. [dúisigh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "awake" : [dúiseacht] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Suffix -e, e.g. [rinc] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "dance" : [rince] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)

Usage of the verbal noun

The verbal noun is used as the infinitive would be used in English.

[D'iarr sé orm imeacht.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "He asked me to go."

[B'fhearr liom fanacht.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I would rather stay."

A progressive can be expressed with the preposition [ag] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and is equivalent to the English present participle.

[Tá Seán ag obair.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Seán is working."

[Bhí Máire ag caint.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Máire was speaking."

A perfect tense can be formed with either of the compound prepositions [tar éis] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [i ndiaidh] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and the verbal noun.

[Tá sí tar éis baint an fhéir.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "She has (just) cut the grass." (cf. Hiberno-English "She is after cutting the grass.")

[Bhí sé i ndiaidh ní na gcupán.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "He had (just) washed the cups." (cf. Hiberno-English "He was after washing the cups.")

Preverbal particles

Irish uses a number of preverbal particles to modify the meaning of a sentence. In a positive statement, no particle is used and the verb comes first:

Tuigeann Seán Gaeilge. "Seán understands Irish."
Thuig Seán Gaeilge. "Seán understood Irish."
Thuigfeadh Seán Gaeilge. "Seán would understand Irish."

Negative particles

To negate a statement, the particle [ní] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is used, which causes lenition; a d’ before a vowel or lenited f is omitted:

[Ní thuigeann Seán Gaeilge.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Seán doesn't understand Irish."
[Ní thuigfeadh Seán Gaeilge.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Seán wouldn't understand Irish."
[Ní ólfadh Séamas an bainne.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Séamas would not drink the milk." (cf. [D'ólfadh Séamas an bainne.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Seán would drink the milk.")
[Ní fhanfadh Úna liom.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Úna would not wait for me." (cf. [D'fhanfadh Úna liom.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Úna would wait for me.")

In the preterite, the particle [níor] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is used . There is lenition but no [d’] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help).

[Níor thuig Seán Gaeilge.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Seán didn't understand Irish."
[Níor ól Séamas an bainne.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Séamas didn't drink the milk." (cf. [D'ól Séamas an bainne.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Seán drank the milk.")
[Níor fhan Úna liom.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Úna didn't wait for me." (cf. [D'fhan Úna liom.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Úna waited for me.")

(In Ulster, the negative particles [cha(n)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), pret. [char] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) are also used)

Interrogative particles

To pose a simple yes/no question, the particle [an] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is used, which causes eclipsis (no eclipsis of vowels, because [an] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) already ends with n). In the preterite [ar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (+ lenition) is used. The prefix [d’] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is omitted:

[An dtuigeann Seán Gaeilge?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Does Seán understand Irish?"
[An dtuigfeadh Seán Gaeilge?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Would Seán understand Irish?"
[An ólann Seán bainne?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Does Seán drink milk?"
[An bhfanfadh Úna liom?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Would Úna wait for me?"
[Ar thuig Seán Gaeilge?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Did Seán understand Irish?"
[Ar ól Séamas an bainne?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Did Séamas drink the milk?"
[Ar fhan Úna liom?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Did Úna wait for me?"

These particles are also used to introduce an indirect question:

[Níl a fhios agam an dtuigeann Seán Gaeilge.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I don't know if Seán understands Irish."
[Ní mé ar ól Séamas an bainne.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "I wonder if Séamas drank the milk."

Negative interrogative particles

To pose a negative yes/no question, the particle [nach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is used, which causes eclipsis (in preterite: [nár] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) + lenition):

[Nach dtuigeann Seán Gaeilge?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Doesn't Seán understand Irish?"
[Nach dtuigfeadh Seán Gaeilge?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Wouldn't Seán understand Irish?"
[Nach n-ólfadh Seán an bainne?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Wouldn't Seán drink the milk?"
[Nach bhfanfadh Úna liom?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Wouldn't Úna wait for me?"
[Nár thuig Seán Gaeilge?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Didn't Seán understand Irish?"
[Nár ól Séamas an bainne?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Didn't Seán drink the milk?"
[Nár fhan Úna liom?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Didn't Úna wait for me?"

(In Munster [ná] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is used instead of [nach] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help).)

Wh-interrogative particles

To pose a wh-question, one of the interrogative particles [cá, cad a/céard a, cathain a, cé a, conas a] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) etc. is used.

[Cá gcuirfidh tú an litir?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Where will you put the letter?"
[Cad/Céard a cheapfaidh na comharsana?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "What will the neighbors think?"
[Cathain a dhíolfaidh sibh bhur dteach?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "When will you sell your house?"
[Cé a sheasfaidh i m'aice?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "Who will stand next to me?"
[Conas a ghlanfaidh tú an gúna?] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) "How will you clean the dress?"

External links