reimnigh.com

reimnigh.com

Reimnigh

Réimnigh

An Irish Language verb conjugator

warning: requires a teacher

https://davissandefur.github.io/slot-machine-na-gaeilge/

1. Prepositions not combining with personal pronoun
   go (dtí) does not combine with pronouns. SOme others that don’t are gan, seachas. Generally, these don’t change the following noun, either. gan bróga. However, if it’s followed by article, the normal rules apply. gan an bhean.

#Lesson21

1. Future Tense of the Regular Verb
   (i) Form used with noun or pronoun (corresponding to beidh)

So this is the most basic type of verb for the future tense. It expresses “will x” by itself, nothing too complicated.

There are two types of verbs in Irish, those with one syllable and those with two syllables. We’ll start with one syllable verbs, as they’re easier, in my opinion.

To form the future tense of these verbs, called first conjugation in many texts, you just add -f(a)idh. The -faidh form is used when the verb ends with a broad consonant, the -fidh form when it ends with a slender one. Some examples:

Bris  Brisfidh
féach  féachfaidh

If you have a verb that ends with -igh in this status, you drop the -gh and add the endings.

Now, on to the second one. These are generally verbs that are two syllables. I would say it wouldn’t be unfair to say most of these end with –(a)igh. So how do you form the future tense of those? Well, for the ones that end with –(a)igh, you drop it then add the proper ending: -óidh or -eoidh based on whether it ends with a broad (first ending) or slender (second) consonant.

salaigh  salóidh
coinnigh  coinneoidh

However, some are two syllables that don’t end with –(a)igh. Generally these verbs are similar to oscail and imir. In these, you drop the final vowel(s) and make them a single syllable. Then you add the ending

oscail = oscl + óidh = osclóidh
imir = imr + eoidh = imreoidh

(ii) Autonomous form

Thankfully these aren’t hard. For first type, you just use -f(e)ar, while for the second you use -ófar or eofar.

(iii) Pronunciation of verbs with roots ending in b, d, g, bh, mh
So the thing to learn here is that the “f” in the future tense devoices the proceeding consonant. So a sounds like /t/, comes like /p/. and both come to /f/.

(ii) To express ownership

So, just like bí ... ag can express possession, in Irish you express ownership with a phrasal verb. In this case, you use is and le. When asking a question, you always use the emphatic/contrastive form, but you answer with the ordnary form.

Ar (An) leatsa na gunnaí?
is liom

1. Use of é in responses

So when you have a response to something that involves indirect speech, you can either respond with the indirect speach particle and the verb, or just substitute é

Is dóigh go mbeidh tú ansin

could be responded to with

Is dóigh go mbeidh or Is dóigh é

1. Use of directional adverbs with le

Basically you can use the preposition le with adverbs of direction and the verb is implied. Sometimes, the plural imperative ending -aigí is added. So you can say Amach leat! (Out with you). Or things like Imeacht(aigí) libh — Away with you! Shoo!

#Lesson20

1. Relative of the Copula

(i) Direct Relative

(a) Positive:

This one is easy — just use is again. Is í sin an bhean is maith leis — That's the woman he likes

(b) Negative

Use nach instead. Sin é an fear nach maith léi — That's the man she doesn't like.

(ii) Indirect Relative

(a) Positive

Use ar instead of is here.

Sin é an fear ar maith leis an bia — That's the man who likes the food

(b) Negative:

Once again we use nach. easy, right?

Sin é an fear nach maith leis gasúir - That's the man who doesn't like children

1. Future of the Copula

The copula has no specfic future form, so you can use te present tense forms to express a future meaning. It looks like these are really only used with adjectives and a temporal phrase. I'm not certain, but I don't think you can use it to say tings like "He will be a doctor in a year."

1. The preposition le

(i) Introduction

The preposition le generally prefixes and h to a noun beginning with a vowel, though this is rarely said in speech. So you'll write le hÚna, but le Úna will be said (and sometimes written). Before an, it becomes leis giving leis an madra, for example.

(ii) Prepositional pronouns

As usualy, the ordinary form will be out, with the Connacht form in parentheses where it differs

liom
leat
leis
léi (léithe)
linn
libh (lib)
leo (leob)

(iii) Basic meaning 'with'

The most basic meaning of le is 'with': Tá an gasúr liom - the kid is with me

More idiomatically, it can be eused to express:

(a) 'with the motion of'

Basically things like where English would use "He moved with the crowd" or "It went with the current"

Thit an bheilleog leis an ngaoth - The leaf fell with the wind

(b) 'at the same time as'

Makes sense if you read it literally: "He was here with the day" = "He was here at the same time as the day (at daybreak)."

Chuaigh sí abhaile leis an oíche = She went home at nightfall

(c) 'with', 'as a result of'

This is basically the English 'with' in these sense of 'because'

It's used in the idiom: Tá mé spalptha leis an tart - I'm dying of thirst (literally parched with the thirst). Also tinn le himní - sick with worry, etc.

(d) 'away', 'continuing'

Basically like 'work away' or 'continuing to work'. Can be used with any verbal noun:

Tá Seán ag rith leis - Seán is (just) running away (i.e. Seán is just continuing to run)

(iv) Secondary meaning: "to":

(a) 'To', 'for the purpose'

This usage involves a verbal noun or a verbal noun phrase. Note that if you have a preposition following le here, it does not change to the combined form, but it does prefix "n-" to a vowel:

Tá mé anseo le n-í (len í) a shábháil - I am here to save her.

(b) Likewise, it can express 'to', 'due to be'.

This one also prefixes n- to it.

Tá an bia sin le n-ithe — That food is to be eat

Caife le n-imeacht - Coffee for taking away (Take away coffee); this is actually on a sign of a cafe in Carraroe

(v) Other idiomatic meanings:

(a) 'to', 'towards'

Such as who you're showing niceness to, or what you're looking forward to, etc.

Tá éad agam leat - I'm jealous of you
*Tá sé gnaoiúil leis an ngasúr" - He's generous to the kid

(b) 'to', 'against'

With direction, really.

Tá mo dhroimse leis an gclaí — My back is to the stonewall

Tá droim Cháit leis an mballa - Cáit's back is to the wall

I'm pretty sure this is used literally, and not idiomatically int he English "My back's against the wall"

(c) Duration

So le can be used for 'for' when talking about times. However, this only happens when the time period is on-going.

Tá mé i Meiriceá le dhá mhí - I've been in America two months/ I'm in America for two months.

1. Idiomatic uses of the copula and le

(i) To express 'it seems'

These are basically examples like is maith le X Y to express 'x likes y'. It can be used with several other adjectives. Can be expressed in things like "Isn't it worthwhile to Cáit", or "It's likely to Cáit", etc. See the list in the book for the several main adjectives

Tá Gearóid ag goil soir amach — Gearóid is going away off to the east (if he gets a teaching job in Japan)

(d) When an adverb implying motion or direction is used, the verb can be left out and is implicitly understood.

Beidh mé aniar amáireach — I'll be coming from the west tomorrow.

(e) It can be used with "taobh" too, to produce things like "An taobh istigh", or "an taobh ó dheas". Note that this can only be used witht he stationary forms, so you can't say *"An taobh isteach"

(f) Amach and suas cam be used with certain verbs to express the completion of an action. See the two examples.

1. Numbers above 10

Basically, you usse the same structure as before, you just add the 10s number after the noun. Ifthe noun ends with a vowel, lenite "déag" (excep tin the case of "bliana"). Likewise if it's "scóir".

Connacht Irish still likes to use a vestigismal system, such as saying "dhá fhichead" for 40. Please familiarize yourself with the examples here.

#Lesson19

1. Comparative Degress of Adjective

(i) Comparative

To express the comparative form in Irish, you must use níos (from ní is — thing that is). In the past tense ní ba is technically required and often still seen in older writings. However, this has fallen out of usage in speech.

(ii) Superlative

To form the superlative, is is used before the adjective. "Sin í an bhean is airde". "Is é Seán an Ghaeilgeoir is fearr".

Literally translates to something like "That is the woman that is tallest"

(iii) Forms of the adjective

Thankfully, while there is often a different form of the adjective used for the comparative and superlative, they are the same to each other.

For two-syllable adjectives that end in a vowel, nothing changes. Dorcha, Níos Dorcha, is dorcha

One-syllable adjectives with a final vowel, take -(o)cha .

Buí, níos búiocha, is buíocha

In two or three syllable ones the syllable is lengthened:

te, níos teocha, is teocha

(iv) Adjectives with irregular comparative forms

See the list here. Perhaps the most common would be maith > fearr, dona > measa, mór > mó, beag > lú, fada > foide. But they're all important.

1. Use of "chomh" with adjectives

(i) With le

This is how you use the as X as structure. The normal adjective is used here.

Tá Z comh X le Y:

Z is as X as Y.

Tá sé chomh glic le sionnach — He's as sly as a fox.

(ii) With _is_ followed by a direct relative clause.

This is how you do it if you want to express a verb. So, "he was as happy as her"

Bhí sé chomh sásta is a bhí sise.

Here "is" is a shortened form of "agus". You can also hear "Bhí sé chomh sásta agus a bhí sise".

A common one might be "chomh mait agus is féidir" — as good as possible.

(iii) With sin

Comh X sin is basically "That X" or "So x". If using it in "so", go/nach are used.

An bhfuil sé chomh dona sin? - Is it that bad?

(iv) With céanna

chomh X céanna is to express "just as X".

Tá Davis chomh maith céanna — Davis is just as good.

(v) As exclamation

can be used to exclaim similar to "How X Y is"

Chomh ramhar le Santa — How fat Santa is!

(vi) In questions

When you want to express 'How X' something is, you have to use chomh in a question, with cé

Cé chomh ard le Cáit - How tall is Cáit?

Similar, if you want to use a verb, you need is and the relative clause:

Cé chomh fada is atá tú ag foghlaim na Gaeilge - How long have you been learning Irish?

1. Adverbs of Direction and Position

Irish has several adverbs that are used for direction and position, depending on where the speaker is. And, what's more, Irish distinguishes between being up, moving up, and coming from up.

Tá mé ag goil suas — I am going up (say, the stairs)
Tá spéir thuas — The sky is up
Tá mé ag teacht anuas — I am coming down (from up).

This holds for several distinctions. Please see the table and practice these. They can be quite difficult. Even I'm not 100% on them.

(ii) Adverbs ó thuaidh and ó dheas

Generally, ó thuaidh can function in the place of all three of te normal split. So it can mean 'going north', 'in the north', or 'coming from the north'. Same of ó dheas, except with 'south' instead of north. However, when they're used as adjectives in set phrases, aduaidh and aneas are used. See the examples here.

(iii): Usage

(a) So, where as English would generally use 'up' and 'down' the road, Irish tends to use the actual directions.

Síos is used for 'north', however, and 'suas' for south.

Tá sé ag goil síos an bóthar == He is going down the road == He is going north along the road.

Tá sí ag goil soir an bóthar == She is going eastwards along the road.

(b) See the examples here. It can be used to mean things like "Talk to the man inside" — Labhair leis an fear istigh. Or "Talk to the man who is coming inside" - Labhair leis an fear isteach. There is an implicit relative clause and such.

(c) Amach/amuigh can be combined with siar/thair to give a greater distance. I wouldn't be surprised if this can be done with thoir and soir as well.