Irish Verbs
Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Irish. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Irish.
Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Irish conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:
| Present Tense | Irish |
|---|---|
| I speak English | labhraím Béarla  |
| you speak French | labhraíonn tú Fraincís |
| he speaks German | labhraíonn sé Gearmáinis |
| she speaks Italian | labhraíonn sí Iodáilis |
| we speak Arabic | labhraíonn muid Araibis |
| they speak Chinese | labhraíonn siad Sínis |
The past tense in Irish conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:
| Past Tense | Irish |
|---|---|
| I visited France | thug mé cuairt ar an bhFrainc |
| you visited Italy | thug tú cuairt ar an Iodáil |
| he visited Morocco | thug sé cuairt ar Mharacó |
| she visited China | thug sí cuairt ar an tSín |
| we visited Mexico | thugamar cuairt ar Mheicsiceo |
| they visited Kenya | thug siad cuairt ar Chéinia |
The future tense in Irish conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:
| Future Tense | Irish |
|---|---|
| I will drink milk | ólfaidh mé bainne |
| you will drink coffee | ólfaidh tú caife |
| he will drink tea | ólfaidh sé tae |
| she will drink water | ólfaidh sí uisce |
| we will drink apple juice | ólfaimid sú úll |
| they will drink tea | ólfaidh siad tae |
Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.
ear cluas | eye súil | mouth béal | nose srón |
hair gruaig | face aghaidh | head ceann/cloigeann | heart croí |
hand lámh | fingers méaracha | leg cos | feet cosa |
Travel Phrases in Irish
Imagine yourself in some Irish speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!
| English | Irish |
|---|---|
| Can you help me? | an féidir leat cúnamh a thabhairt dom? |
| Can I help you? | an féidir liom cúnamh a thabhairt duit? |
| Where is the airport? | cá bhfuil an t-aerfort? |
| Go straight | téigh díreach ar aghaidh |
| Then | ansin |
| Turn left | cas ar chlé |
| Turn right | cas ar dheis |
I hope this lesson about the verbs in Irish was not hard for you. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Irish Audio |
Inspirational Quote: Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. Goethe |