| Grammar point: Briathra san
Aimsir Chaite - - Verbs in the
past tense |
| These verbs below are presented first in their
"dictionary" form i.e. the second person singular
imperative mood. That's what you say when you want to give
an order to one person. That is Column 1. Column 2 gives the
Past Tense. It describes an action done once in the past.
There is another tense for "habitual" actions. Column
3 is obvious. Column 4 mentions the Réimniú
(Conjugation) in which the verb is placed. A "conjugation"
is a group of verbs which follow similar changes. In Irish
there are only two conjugations! You could easily make out
a list of characteristics which apply to each one. The most
common verbs of all, those most frequently used, are irregular
(NR Neamhrialta) but there are only 11 of them and only six
of them are really irregular. There is also another defective
verb, an chopail (the copula) which is essential
for good Irish. An chopail is dealt with elsewhere. |
| In this lesson you will learn to form the past
tense in positive and negative statements and also how to
ask a question. |
Briathar
Verb |
san Aimsir Chaite
in the Past Tense |
Aistriúchán
Translation |
Réimniú
Conjugation |
| Fan |
D'fhan mé |
I stayed |
1 |
| Bí |
Bhí mé |
I was |
NR |
| Dúisigh |
Dhúisigh mé |
I awoke |
2 |
| Éirigh |
D'éirigh mé |
I got up |
2 |
| Nigh |
Nigh mé |
I washed |
1 |
| Cuir |
Chuir mé |
I put |
1 |
| Téigh |
Chuaigh mé |
I went |
NR |
| Doirt |
Dhoirt mé |
I poured |
1 |
| Craith |
Chraith mé |
I shook |
1 |
| Ith |
D'ith mé |
I eat |
NR |
| (Clois) |
Chuala mé |
I heard |
NR |
| Tar |
Tháinig sé |
He came |
NR |
| Iarr |
D'iarr sé |
He asked |
1 |
| Tabhair |
Thug mé |
I gave |
NR |
| Cabhraigh |
Chabhraigh mé |
I helped |
2 |
| Déan |
Rinne mé |
I made |
NR |
| (Feic) |
Chonaic mé |
I saw |
NR |
| ------- |
Theastaigh uaim |
I wanted |
2 |
|
| |
| How to form the Aimsir Caite
(Past Tense) "Foirm Dhearfach" (Positive
form): |
An
aimsir caite,
foirm dhearfach - -
The past tense, positive form |
Verbs with an initial b,
c, d, g, m, p, s, t, |
| Put a "h" on the initial consonant
if possible. So glan - - clean becomes
ghlan mé - - I cleaned in
the past tense. |
| Verbs with an initial vowel: |
| Put " d' " before a vowel: ól
- - drink becomes d'ól mé -
- I drank. |
| Verbs with an initial f: |
Where the initial consonant is an " f "
put both " h " on the f and
d' before it.
Fág - - leave becomes d'fhág
mé - - I left.
|
|
| |
| How to form the Aimsir Caite
(Past Tense) "Foirm Dhiúltach" (Negative
form): |
An aimsir
caite,
foirm dhiúltach - -
The past tense, negative form |
Verbs with an initial b,
c, d, g, m, p, s, t, |
The negative is formed with níor before
regular verbs (and five irregular!):
níor dhúisigh mé - - I did not
wake;
Níor bhris mé - - I did not break;
níor chuala mé - - I did not hear. |
| Verbs with an initial vowel: |
The d' is not used in the negative:
Níor iarr mé - - I did not ask.
Níor ól mé - - I did not drink |
| Verbs with an initial f: |
The d' is not used in the negative:
Níor fhág mé - - I did not leave;
Níor fhreagair mé - - I did not answer. |
|
| |
| How to form the Aimsir Caite
(Past Tense) "Foirm Cheisteach" ( Question
form): |
An
aimsir caite,
foirm cheisteach
- -
The past tense, question form |
Verbs with an initial
b, c, d, g, m, p, s, t, |
Ask a question with ar or nár
before regular verbs and five irregular:
Ar dhúisigh tú - - Did you wake.
Nár dhúisigh tú - - Did you
not wake
Ar bhris tú - - Did you break;
Nár bhris tú - - Did you not break;
Ar thug tú- - did you give |
| Verbs with an initial
vowel: |
The d' is not used in the question
form:
Nár iarr mé . . ? - - did I not ask.
Ar ól tú? - - did you drink |
| Verbs with an initial
f: |
The d' is not used in the question
form:
Ar fhág mé? - - did I leave?
Nár fhreagair mé? - - did I not answer. |
|
To ask a question use ar or
nár before regular verbs and some irregular:
ar éirigh tú - - did you get up?
Nár éirigh tú fós - - Did
you not get up yet? |
| |
The six most irregular verbs.
Na sé bhriathar is neamhrialta
|
|
| There are six verbs which have different stems
(roots) in the positive and negative forms (independent and
dependent forms) or other abnormalities. They are given here
in positive, negative, and interrogative. |
Dearfach
Positive |
Diúltach
Negative |
Ceisteach
Interrogative |
Fuair mé
I got |
Ní bhfuair mé
I did not get |
An bhfuair tú
Did you get? |
Chonaic mé
I saw |
Ní fhaca mé
I did not see |
An bhfaca tú
Did you see? |
Chuaigh mé
I went |
Ní dheachaigh mé
I did not go |
An ndeachaigh tú
Did you go? |
Rinne mé
I made / did |
Ní dhearna mé
I did not make / do |
An ndearna tú
Did you make / do? |
Dúirt mé
I said |
Ní dúirt mé
I did not say |
An ndúirt tú
Did you say? |
Bhí mé
I was |
Ní raibh mé
I was not |
An raibh tú
Were you? |
Foirm Neamhspleách
Independent Form |
Foirm Spleách
Dependent Form |
Foirm Spleách
Dependent Form |
|
| The forms Neamhspleách and Spleách
are explained on an earlier page. Click here
to see it again. |
| N.B. The verb abair - - say is
never lenited in any tense in Standard Irish. Dúirt
mé - - I said Ní dúirt mé
-- I did not say [ Standard Irish? The formal Irish
used in Government documents etc. Dialects may vary. ] |
These six verbs display irregularities in this and other tenses.
They are not difficult but they are so frequently used as
to be essential for essays, stories and conversation. My advice
is to learn them well |
|
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