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| An Aimsir Ghnáth-láithreach
agus an Aimsir Láithreach |
There are two "present" tenses in Irish.
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Verbs of "feeling, seeing, hearing, sensing,
etc" have an actual present tense, An Aimsir Láithreach.
[expressing the idea "now" -- I hear you now! = Cloisim
thú anois.]
- All other verbs do not have that "actual present tense"
they have another tense which does not exist in English and which
we call "The Habitual or Continuous Present Tense" An
Aimsir Ghnáthláithreach. You and I laugh at
stage Irish characters who cannot speak English well: "I
do walk to school every day!" -- "Siúlaim
ar scoil gach lá!" "Bím ag obair go dian."
-- "I do be (continuously) working hard!" Translating
this tense from Irish to English is not easy but it is a very
important tense in Irish. Use it with time words like: go minic,
anois is arís, gach lá, and whenever you want
to show that the activity is done frequently or habitually or
regularly in the present. This is the "habitual or continuous
present tense" I am talking about. It is called "An
Aimsir Ghnáthláithreach" in Irish.
- Below are some examples using the verbs you have already learned.
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| Briathra san
Aimsir Ghnáthláithreach - - Verbs in the
habitual present tense |
| Root of verb |
These verbs are all in the Continuous Present |
Briathar
Verb |
san Aimsir Ghnáthláithreach
in the Habitual Present Tense |
Aistriúchán
Translation |
Réimniú
Conjugation |
| Fan |
Fanaim, fanann tú, ...fanaimid ... |
I / You / We stay. |
1 |
| Bí |
Bím, bíonn tú, ... bímid
.... |
I / You / We do be |
NR |
| Dúisigh |
Dúisím, dúisíonn
tú, ... dúisímid ... |
I / You / We do wake up |
2 |
| Éirigh |
Éirím, éiríonn
tú ... éirímid ... |
I / You / We do get up |
2 |
| Nigh |
Ním, níonn tú ... nímid
... |
We do wash |
1 |
| Cuir |
Cuirim, cuireann tú ... cuirimid ... |
I / You / We do put |
1 |
| Téigh |
Téim, téann tú ... téimid
... |
I / You / We do go |
NR |
| Doirt |
Doirtim, doirteann tú ... doirtimid
... |
I / You / We do pour |
1 |
| Craith |
Craithim, craitheann tú .. craithimid |
I / You / We do shake |
1 |
| Ith |
Ithim, itheann tú ... ithimid |
I / You / We do eat |
NR |
| (Clois) |
Cloisim, cloiseann tú ... cloisimid
... |
I / You / We hear / do hear!!!! |
NR |
| Tar |
Tagaim, tagann tú ... tagaimid ... |
I / You / We do come |
NR |
| Iarr |
Iarraim, iarrann tú ... iarraimid ...
|
I / You / We do ask |
1 |
| Tabhair |
Tugaim, tugann tú ... tugaimid ... |
I / You / We do give |
NR |
| Cabhraigh |
Cabhraím, cabhraíonn tú
... cabhraímid .. |
I / You / We do help |
2 |
| Déan |
Déanaim, déanann tú ...
déanaimid ... |
I / You / We do make (or do!) |
NR |
| (Feic) |
Feicim, feiceann tú ... feicimid |
I / You / We see / do see!!! |
NR |
| ------- |
Teastaíonn uaim / uait / uainn |
I / You / We want |
2 |
| The numbers 1 and 2 above stand
for the groups (called "conjugations" or in Irish
"réimniú") in which similar verbs
are listed. NR is short for Neamh-Rialta, Irregular.
There are 11 of them and the six most irregular (and most important)
are listed below. |
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| How to form the present continuous tense:
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| Positive / Affirmative (Saying "Yes!") |
An
aimsir ghnáth-láithreach,
foirm dhearfach - -
The habitual present tense, positive form |
Verbs with an initial b, c, d, g, m, p, s,
t, |
| Take the root of the verb i.e. the command form
(glan or cabhraigh) and add an ending like those
given above in the examples. Notice the rule "caol
le caol agus leathan le leathan" must be applied;
and with verbs like "cabhraigh" change the
" -- igh -- " to " -- í --"
. It is customary in these verbs to have an " -
o - " after this "- í - ".
So learn to spell "Cabhraím le Mamaí"
-- "I help Mammy!" and "Cabhraíonn
Seán le Mamaí freisin" -- "Seán
helps Mammy also." |
| Verbs with an initial vowel: |
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Do the same: "ól" becomes "ólaim"
or "ólann tú" -- "éist"
becomes "éistim" or "éisteann
tú"; "éirigh" becomes
"éirím" or "éiríonn
tú" etc
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| Verbs with an initial f: |
No problem. Do the same again. Fág
- - leave becomes fágaim - - I do leave
and Freagair -- answer (i.e. the verb answer)
becomes freagraím, freagraíonn tú
... etc
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| Negative (Saying "No!") |
An
aimsir ghnáth-láithreach,
foirm dhiúltach - -
The habitual present tense, negative form |
Verbs with an initial b, c, d, g, m, p, s,
t, |
| The negative is formed with ní before
all verbs plus lenition / an aspiration / séimhiú
on the initial consonant if possible: so: Ní bhrisim
-- I do not break; Ní chuirim -- I do
not put; Ní dhéanaim -- I do not
do / make; etc |
| Verbs with an initial vowel: |
| Just put Ní before these: Ní
ólaim -- I do not drink; Ní éistim
-- I do not listen; Ní ithim -- I do
not eat; |
| Verbs with an initial f: |
| Just do as you did for the consonants above, use
Ní and an séimhiú Ní fhágaim
- - I do not leave; Ní fhreagraím
- - I do not answer. (Notice that some verbs like "Freagair"
lose a syllable when an ending is added.) |
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| Interrogative (Asking a question) |
An
aimsir ghnáth-láithreach,
foirm cheisteach - -
The continuous present tense, interrogative form |
Verbs with an initial b, c, d, g, m, p, s,
t, |
Ask a question with An or Nach
and place an "urú"
on the initial consonant.
An ndúisíonn tú go moch?- - Do
you wake up early?. Nach ndúisíonn tú?
- - Do you not wake up? An mbriseann tú
ubh le spúnóg?- - Do you break an egg
with a spoon? Nach mbriseann tú? - - Do you
not (break)
NB. If using these questions at the end of a sentence where
the subject is clear -- or as a reply to a question -- there
is no need to repeat the subject. For example you could say
Dúisíonn tú go moch, an ndúisíonn?
Similarly you would say Briseann tú ubh le spúnóg,
nach mbriseann? An mbriseann tú ubh le spúnóg?
Reply: Briseann! (No need there for a pronoun such
as tú, sé etc) |
| Verbs with an initial vowel: |
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Use An or Nach again and put in an urú
-- which in this case is always n- With An however
one - n - cancels the other and you get "An ólann
tú bainne" and "an éiríonn
tú go moch.
Nach n-éisteann sé? -- Does he not
listen?
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| Verbs with an initial f: |
| The urú on - f - is -bh -
so An bhfanann tú ar scoil tar éis 4.00 pm?
-- Do you remain at school after 4.00 pm? Nach bhfreagraíonn
tú ceisteanna sa rang? -- Do you not answer questions
in class? |
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The six most irregular verbs.
Na sé bhriathar is neamhrialta
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| The six most irregular verbs take the stem / root for the continuous
present tense from the "command form". Learn these forms
below: |
Dearfach
Positive |
Diúltach
Negative |
Ceisteach
Interrogative |
Faighim
I do get |
Ní fhaighim
I do not get |
An bhfaigheann tú
Do you get? |
Feicim
I see |
Ní fheicim
I do not see |
An bhfeiceann tú
Do you see? |
Téim
I do go |
Ní théim
I do not go |
An dtéann tú?
Did you go? |
Déanaim
I do make / do ["I do do! :-)] |
Ní dhéanaim
I do not make / do |
An ndéanann tú?
Did you make / do? |
Deirim (but deir tú .. it's irregular)
I say / I do say |
Ní deirim (no h here -- it's very irregular.
Never takes a h anywhere.)
I do not say |
An ndeir tú (You would expect An ndeireann
tú? here. Wrong! This is a really irregular verb.)
Do you say? |
Bím
I do be ... |
Ní bhím (déanach etc)
I do not be (late etc) |
An mbíonn tú ...?
Do you be ...? |
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| The only verb to have a different form for the
"present tense" proper is bí and these
are the forms: |
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Use the
Foirm Neamhspleách
Independent Form |
Use the
Foirm Spleách
Dependent Form |
Use the
Foirm Spleách
Dependent Form |
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| Táim, tá tú .... |
Nílim, níl tú ... |
An bhfuil tú? |
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| The forms Neamhspleách and Spleách are explained
on an earlier page. Click here
to see it again. |
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| NB: |
The verb abair - - say is never
lenited in any tense in written Standard Irish / An Caighdeán
Oifigiúil.
Ní deirim - - I do not say [In spoken Irish
you will hear variations on this.] |
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| 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. Learn them well. |
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| If you have problems with verbs and their
tenses watch out for verbs in your reading where the meaning is obvious.
Copy them out -- into a special notebook unknown to your teacher!
-- and learn them. You will gradually build up your vocabulary --
and your grammar. |
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