Cleachtadh
aitheantais (A-huhn-tish); recognition drill
Chleachtaimis
an pianó. Chrochtaí ar an doras
é. Ní ólaimis mórán
bainne. Nach stadadh an traein ag an stáisiún
seo? D'fheiceadh sí na páistí
ag teacht abhaile. D'fhreagróinn Seán
dá mbeadh am go leor agam. Nach scríobhtá
chuici? An nglantá do shílear sa
samradh? Nach n-éisteá leis an gclár
seo?
All
of the sentences above are in the aimsir ghnáthchaite
(gnaw*-HAH-tye), past habitual tense, except for
one.
Key:
We used to practice (on) the piano. It used to
be hung on the door. Didn't the train used to
stop at this station? She used to see the children
coming home. I would answer Seán if I had
enough time. Didn't you used to write to her?
Did you used to clean your cellar in the summer?
Didn't you used to listen to this program?
Graiméar
For
the second conjugation of verbs, such as bailigh
or ceannaigh, the past habitual is slightly different.
Read this series over several times:
bhailínn
(VWAHL-een), I used to gather
bhailíteá
(vwahl-EE-taw*), you used to gather
bhailíodh
(VWAHL-ee-ohk*) sé, he used to gather
bhailíodh
sí, she used to gather
bhailímis
(VWAHL-ee-mish), we used to gather
bhailíodh
sibh (shiv), you-all used to gather
bhailídís
(VWAHL-ee-deesh), they used to gather
bhailítí
(VWAHL-ee-tee), people used to gather
The
forms resemble those for the first conjugation
(verbs such as dún and bris) but have a
more emphasized (ee) sound in the verb. The forms
also somewhat resemble the modh coinníolach,
too, except for the absence of the (h) sound directly
after the basic part of the verb. For example,
"I would gather" is bhaileoinn, but
"I used to gather" is bhailínn.
The
negative forms begin with: ní bhailínn,
I didn't used to gather.
For
questions, start with: an mbailínn? (un
MAHL-een), did I used to gather? The negative
questions begin with: nach mbailínn?, didn't
I used to gather?
Now
go through the 32 forms with the verb deisigh,
repair or mend.
The
first forms will be: dheisínn ní
dheisínn an ndeisínn nach ndeisínn.
If
the second conjugation verb has a broad consonant
before the final syllable, such as ceannaigh or
ordaigh, there is no change in pronunciation or
spelling of the word endings, but the "a"
remains before the ending:
cheannaínn
(HYAN-een), I used to buy; cheannaíteá
(hyan-EE-taw*), you used to buy, and so on.
If
the verb begins with a vowel, a "d"
precedes the declarative form:
d'ordaínn
(DOHRD-een), I used to order
d'éirínn
(DEYE-reen), I used to get up
Also,
in the negative question, the particle "nach"
causes an (n) sound to precede the verb form.
An example: nach n-ordaítí é?
didn't it used to be ordered?
With
the verbs that are syncopated or slightly compressed
in sound, the forms resemble the others except
for the effects of the syncopation.
One
such verb is imir, play.
D'imrínn
(DIM-reen), I used to play; d'imríteá
(dim-REE-taw*), you used to play.
Another
of these is freagair (FRAG-ir), answer. D'fhreagaínn
(DRAG-reen), I used to answer; d'fhreagraíteá
(drag-REE-taw*), you used to answer.
Cleachtadh
leis an aimsir ghnáthchaite
Read
these sentences over aloud or, better still, have
someone who is familiar with the pronunciation
read them to you. Picture the activity and the
person or persons doing it. Several future-tense
sentences and modh coinníollach sentences
are included.
An
míníteá na fadhbanna? (FEYEB-uh-nuh).
Cheannódh sibh é. Ghoidídís
rothair. Nach n-aontaídís leat?
D'ordaímis é sin. An mbailítí
an bruscar? Nach n-imríodh sé peil?
Dheisínn gluaisteáin. Nach n-úllmhaítí
an bia gach lá? Líonfaidh Seán
an citeal.
Key:
Did you used to explain the problems? You-all
would buy it. They used to steal bicycles. Didn't
they used to agree with you? We used to order
that. Did the trash used to be collected? Didn't
he used to play football? I used to repair autos.
Didn't the food used to be prepared everyday?
Seán will fill the kettle.
Focail
nua
Several
double prepositions in Irish are followed by the
genitive or possessive. An example that you have
already seen in these lessons is os cionn, meaning
above. Os cionn an bhoird (ohs kyuhn uh VWIRD)
means "above the table".
Three
others are:
go
ceann (goh KYOUN); to the end of or for the duration
of. Examples:
go
ceann na cuairte (nuh KOO-ahrt-ye), for the duration
of the visit; go ceann na míosa (MEES-uh)
seo, to the end of this month; go ceann an chogaidh
(K*UHG-ee), for the duration of the war.
It
can also mean "to the top of", as in
: go ceann an chnoic, to the top of the hill.
i
gceann (i GYOUN), at the end of (one meaning).
For example: i gceann coicíse (KEYE-kee-shuh),
at the end of a fortnight, in two weeks' time.
i gcionn (i GYUN) means this also.
ar
feadh (er fa), during or along. An example: ar
feadh an bhóthair is "along the road".
Sentences:
Beidh mé ann go ceann míosa, I will
be there for a month.
Beidh
mé sa bhaile i gceann míosa, I will
be home at the end of a month.
Chonaic
mé Nóra ar feadh an lae sin, I saw
Nora during that day.
Fuair
mé mo lón ar feadh na sráide
sin, I got my lunch along that street.
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