Gramadach

cuid a haon

Cad is briathar? What is a verb?

A verb is a doing or action word. For example: run, talk, dance, shout, clean etc.

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These are examples of the stem or root of a verb.

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We can change these verbs into different tenses e.g. ran = past, will run = future.

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We can also add a possessive to show who is carrying out the action e.g. He cleaned.

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We can also conjugate a verb in a certain tense. This means to list all forms of a verb in that tense.

Conjugate a verb

To conjugate the verb glan (to clean), we would write it as follows:

Ghlan mé I cleaned

Ghlan tú You cleaned

Ghlan sé He cleaned

Ghlan sí She cleaned

Ghlanamar We cleaned

Ghlan sibh You(pl)* cleaned

Ghlan siad They cleaned

Ar ghlan tú? Did you clean?

Níor ghlan mé I didn’t clean

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*In English, there is no plural of You. In some parts of the country, people may say Ye or Yous. In Irish, the plural of You is Sibh. You in the plural form is indicated by You(pl).

Syntax (Order of Words)

The syntax or order of words in a sentence is very important.

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In English, we put the person first and then the verb. For example, we say “I cleaned”.

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In Irish, the syntax is reversed. We put the verb first and then the person. For example, we said “Ghlan sé”.

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So the sentence “I cleaned my room yesterday” would be “Ghlan mé mo sheomra inné”.

Briathra Rialta

Briathra rialta (regular verbs) are verbs that follow a set of rules. For example, if you learn how to conjugate a verb in the past, present or future tense, the briathra rialta will follow the rules.

Some examples of briathra rialta are:

cuir – to put

tóg – to take

fág – to leave

dún – to close

ceannaigh – to buy

éist – to listen

fan – to wait

ól – to drink

tosaigh – to start

bailigh – to collect

caill – to lose

buaigh – to win

glan – to clean

ceap – to think

éirigh – to get up

Briathra Neamhrialta

Briathra neamhrialta (irregular verbs) are verbs that do not follow a set of rules. Each verb has different endings and does not follow a pattern or the normal rules. They may also use a different stem or root. Fortunately, there are only 11 briathra neamhrialta.

The briathra neamhrialta are:

abair – to say

beir - to catch

bí – to be

déan – to make/do

clois – to hear

faigh - to get

feic – to see

ith – to eat

tar – to come

tabhair – to give

téigh – to go

Broad & Slender Verbs

Before we conjugate a verb, we must determine whether it is a broad verb or a slender verb.

The broad vowels in Gaeilge are a, o and u.

The slender vowels in Gaeilge are i and e.

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If the last vowel in a one syllable verb is a, o or u, the verb is broad e.g. glan is a broad verb.

If the last vowel is i or e, it is slender e.g. bris is a slender verb.

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If the last vowel in the 1^st syllable of a two syllable verb is a, o or u, the verb is broad e.g. tosaigh is a broad verb.

If the last vowel in the 1^st syllable of a two syllable verb is i or e, the verb is slender e.g. bailigh is a slender verb.

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Remember the rule – “Caol le caol, leathan le leathan” (Slender with slender, broad with broad)

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Briathra Leathana (Broad Verbs)

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pioc – to pick tóg – to take fan – to wait ól – to drink

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glan – to clean ceap – to think tosaigh – to start rothaigh – to cycle

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brostaigh – to hurry gortaigh – to hurt las – to light críochnaigh – to finish

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ceannaigh – to buy cabhraigh – to help dún – to close sleamhnaigh – to slip

Briathra Caol (Slender Verbs)

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bris – to break caill – to lose lig – to let fill – to return

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éist – to listen buail – to hit goid – to steal bailigh – to collect/gather

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dúisigh – to wake oibrigh – to work imir – to play litrigh – to spell

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éirigh – to get up deisigh – to fix sroich – to reach múin – to teach