Review
of noun Groups
Here
is a short review of noun groups (declensions)
before we explain how to express conditions
- sentences with "if" or "if
not" in them.
1st
declension (most numerous). Masculine, end in
a broad consonant (one that follows "a",
"o" or "u". All form the
genitive singular by slenderizing the last consonant.
Most form the basic plural in that way, too,
and for nearly all those the genitive plural
is the same as the basic singular form. Example:
an bád (baw*d), boat; an bháid,
of the boat; na báid, the boats; na mbád,
of the boats.
2nd
declension (second most numerous). Feminine
and ending in either a broad or slender consonant.
The genitive singular ends in "e"
or "i". There are various ways of
forming the plural. Example: an bhróg,
the shoe; na bróige, of the shoe; na
bróga, the shoes; na mbróg, of
the shoes.
3rd
declension. Masculine and feminine. For all,
the genitive singular ends in "a".
There are various ways of forming the plural.
This declension includes many occupations, all
with plural ending in "í".
Example: an dochtúir, the doctor; an
dochtúra, of the doctor; na dochtúirí,
the doctors; na ndochtúirí, of
the doctors.
4th
declension. Masculine and feminine. For all,
the genitive singular is the same as the basic
form. There are various ways of forming the
plural. Example: an bhá, the bay; na
bá, of the bay; na bánna, the
bays; na mbánna, of the bays.
A
few other nouns, some important, are grouped
together in a 5th declension that has several
distinct ways of forming the genitive and plural.
Finally, there are a dozen or so of irregular
nouns not fitting into any declension. You already
know some forms for most of them.
"If"
sentences (The conditional)
In
English, the sentences " If it is here,
she is glad", and "If it is not here,
she is sad" tell us that whenever a certain
pre-condition exists, a result follows. The
word "when" could replace "if"
in the sentences, because the pre-condition
is entirely possible and can easily happen.
In
Irish, these two sentences become:
Má
tá sé anseo, tá áthas
uirthi (IR-ee). Mura bhfuil sé anseo,
tá brón uirthi.
Memorize
these two sentences and their meaning.
In
the past, the sentences become: Má bhí
sé anseo, bhí áthas uirthi;
if it was here, she was glad. Mura raibh (rev)
sé anseo, bhí brón uirthi;
if it was not here, she was sad.
In
the future, the sentences become: Má
bheidh (ve) sé anseo, beidh áthas
uirthi; if it is here, she will be glad. Mura
mbeidh (me) sé anseo, beidh brón
uirthi; if it is not here, she will be sad.
"Má"
(maw*) causes aspiration in an initial aspirable
consonant except with "tá"
and "deir". "Mura" (MUR-ruh)
causes eclipsis, and the dependent form of the
verb follows it, such as "raibh" and
"???fuil???".
If
the pre-condition is impossible or unlikely,
the English sentences become: If it were here,
she would be glad. If it were not here, she
would be sad. "If" remains unchanged,
but the verb form "is" changes to
"were", so that we will know that
the pre-condition is impossible or unlikely.
In
Irish, too, the verb form changes, and the word
for "if" also changes - to "dá"
(daw*). Memorize these two sentences and their
meaning:
Dá
mbeadh sé anseo, bheadh áthas
uirthi (daw* me-YUHK* shay un-SHUH ve-YUHK*
AW*-huhs IR-ee); if it were here, she would
be glad.
Mura
mbeadh (MUR-ruh me-YUHK*) sé anseo, bheadh
brón uirthi; if it were not here, she
would be sad.
Unlike
English, the same verb form serves all tenses
in Irish. To indicate that the unlikely condition
was in the past or will be the future, words
must be added. For example: English "If
it had been here, she would have been glad"
is "Dá mbeadh sé anseo inné,
bheadh áthas uirthi". Remember to
add a word or phrase indicating the past or
future in these "if" sentences. Examples
of such words or phrases: inné, yesterday;
ansin, then; anuraidh (uh-NOOR-ee), last year;
amárach, tomorrow; an bhlian seo chugainn
(un VLEE-in shuh HOO-in), next year.
There
are forms in addition to "bheadh",
such as "bhéfeá" (VE-faw*),
meaning "you would be", but in this
lesson we will practice solely with "bheadh",
in the third singular person, "he"
or ""she" or "it".
Read
these sentences out loud and get their meaning:
Dá
mbeadh sí anseo, bheadh airgead (AR-i-guhd)
agam. Mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile, bheadh
an múinteoir anseo. Bheadh Máire
san oifig inné, dá mbeadh an aimsir
(EYEM-sheer) go maith. Bheadh an bus mall amárach,
mura mbeadh an bóthar oscailte.
Key:
If she were here, I would have money. If Seán
weren't at home, the teacher would be here.
Máire would have been in the office yesterday,
if the weather had been good. The bus would
be late tomorrow if the road should not be open
(or: isn't open, in more usual speech).
Note
that the "dá", (if) part, can
be first or second in order.
Other
forms of "bheadh" are:
Ní
bheadh sé; it wouldn't be
An
mbeadh sé?; would it be?
Nach
mbeadh sé?; wouldn't it be?
Practice
with these sentences, going from Irish to English
and then from English to Irish again:
Dá
mbeadh an bord sa chistin, ní bheadh
aon rud eile ann. Bá mbeadh carr agat,
an mbeadh eagla ort? Mura mbeadh sí ag
foghlaim (FOU-lim) na Gaeilge, nach mbeadh sí
sa bhaile anocht? Ní bheadh Séamas
ag an doras, mura mbeadh an aimsir chomh dona
seo. An mbeadh na doirse oscailte anocht, dá
mbeadh na páistí ann?
Key:
If the table were in the kitchen, nothing
else would be there. If you had a car, would
you be afraid? If she weren't studying Irish,
wouldn't she be home tonight? Séamas
wouldn't be at the door, if the weather weren't
this bad. Would the doors be open tonight, if
the children were there?
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