Difference between revisions of "Bi (irregular verb)"

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Revision as of 08:14, 31 July 2012

The irregular verb bi is one of two verbs "to be" in Gaelic. It is often called the substantive be (as opposed to the copula Is). It is used

Bi is also used as the primary auxiliary


Bi is one of 11 irregular verbs in Gaelic. It uses an irregular suppletive form in the simple past and the impersonal past. These forms (along with the active relative future), and active conditional irregularly require that when using a 2nd person singular (you), that the pronoun surfaces as tu instead of thu.


Summary of forms

  • Independent forms of the verb bi are used without any particles.
  • Dependent forms of the verb bi are used after an, nach, "cha(n)" and other verbal particles (except cha).
  • Unlike regular verbs, the dependent past tense particle do is never used with tha.


context independent After Cha(n) Dependent
basic forms active past1 bha robh
Present
Future
Relative Future1 ---
impersonal1 past
future
relative future ---
Conditional Mood active 2 in 1st singular) (2 in 1st sing)
impersonal (in Lewis) (in Lewis)
Imperative Mood 1st person singular 2 ---
plural 2
2nd person singular 2
plural 2
3rd person
verbal noun (sometimes)

Notes:

  • 1 with the past tense, relative future and impersonal forms of this verb, the pronoun tu is used instead of thu
  • 2 these forms are not used with any subject, they contain the subject in the inflection of the verb (Pro-Drop)

Non Conditional Moods (indicative, interrogative, negative)

Active Voice

Past tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
1 Bha mi an robh mi Cha robh mi nach robh mi
2 Bha thu an robh thu Cha robh thu nach robh thu
3 masc Bha e an robhl e Cha robh e nach robh e
3 fem Bha i an robh i Chan robh i nach robh i
1 pl Bha sinn an robh sinn Cha robh sinn nach robh sinn
2 pl Bha sibh an robh sibh Cha robh sibh nach robh sibh
3 pl Bha iad an robh iad Cha robh iad nach robh iad


Present tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
1 Tha mi am bheil mi Chan eil mi nach eil mi
2 Tha thu am bheil thu Chan eil thu nach eil thu
3 masc Tha e am bheil e Chan eil e nach eil e
3 fem Tha i am bheil i Chan eil i nach eil i
1 pl Tha sinn am bheil sinn Chan eil sinn nach eil sinn
2 pl Tha sibh am bheil sibh Chan eil sibh nach eil sibh
3 pl Tha iad am bheil iad Chan eil iad nach eil iad


Future tense

The future tense in Gaelic is used to express the idea that an event will happen sometime after the speech time. Unlike English, the future tense can also be used with a present tense meaning, to express the idea that an action is habitual.

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question Relative Future1
1 bithidh mi am bi mi cha bhi mi nach bi mi a bhitheas mi
2 bithidh thu am bi thu cha bhi thu nach bi thu a bhitheas tu2
3 masc bithidh e am bi e cha bhi e nach bi e a bhitheas e
3 fem bithidh i am bi i cha bhi i nach bi i a bhitheas i
1 pl bithidh sinn am bi sinn cha bhi sinn nach bi sinn a bhitheas sinn
2 pl bithidh sibh am bi sibh cha bhi sibh nach bi sibh a bhitheas sibh
3 pl bithidh iad am bi iad cha bhi iad nach bi iad a bhitheas iad

Note:

  1. the relative future is used after certain particles such as ma or the particle used with questions a.
  2. Note that in the relative future the pronoun tu is used in lieu of thu.


Impersonal/Passive Voice

FIX FIX FIX FIX FIX FIX


Gaelic verbs don't technically have a Passive verb form. Instead the passive is typically represented through a periphrastic construction using the verbs Rach or Tha + the passive marker air. It does, however, have an impersonal form. The Impersonal is used to indicate an indeterminate subject. X can be best translated as "someone heard". Use of a pronoun is completely optional. So "XXX" is a completely well-formed sentence. When used with a pronoun, the pronoun represents the logical object of the verb. So "chualas mi" means "Someone heard me". This is often translated as "I was heard", hence the typical "passive" label.

Since Gaelic doesn't distinguish between subject and object pronouns (unlike it's sibling Modern Irish), it is very difficult to determine if these pronouns are subjects or objects. We list them here as if they were subjects, with the understanding that the pronouns in the following tables represent the logical objects of the verb (the person who was heard, not the hearer).

Past tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
1 chualas mi an cualas mi cha chualas mi nach cualas mi
2 chualas tu1 an cualas tu cha chualas tu nach cualas tu
3 masc chualas e an cualsa e cha chualas e nach cualas e
3 fem chualas i an cualas i cha chualas i nach cualas i
1 pl chualas sinn an cualas sinn cha chualas sinn nach cualas sinn
2 pl chualas sibh an cualas sibh cha chualas sibh nach cualas sibh
3 pl chualas iad an cualas iad cha chualas iad nach cualas iad

Notes:

  1. The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu


Present tense

The use of a passive in the present tense is odd, even in English. But if forced, one would use a passive periphrastic construction using the present tense of the verb bi followed by the derived subject followed by air and finally the verb in verbal noun form:

Tha mi air cluinntinn
be.pres 1s passive hear.vn
"I am heard"


Future tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question Relative Future1
1 cluinnear mi an cluinnear mi cha chluinnear mi nach cluinnear mi a chluinnear mi
2 cluinnear thu an cluinnear thu cha chluinnear thu nach cluinnear thu a chluinnear thu
3 masc cluinnear e an cluinnear e cha chluinnear e nach cluinnear e a chluinnear e
3 fem cluinnear i an cluinnear i cha chluinnear i nach cluinnear i a chluinnear i
1 pl cluinnear sinn an cluinnear sinn cha chluinnear sinn nach cluinnear sinn a chluinnear sinn
2 cluinnear sibh an cluinnear sibh cha chluinnear sibh nach cluinnear sibh a chluinnear sibh
3 pl cluinnear iad an cluinnear iad cha chluinnear iad nach cluinnear iad a chluinnear iad

Notes

  1. the relative future is used after certain particles such as a the particle used with questions, or ma "if".

Conditional Mood

Active

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
1 chluinninn1 an cluinninn cha chluinninn nach cluinninn
2 chluinneadh tu2 an cluinneadh tu cha chluinneadh tu nach cluinneadh tu
3 masc chluinneadh e an cluinneadh e cha chluinneadh e nach cluinneadh e
3 fem chluinneadh i an cluinneadh i cha chluinneadh i nach cluinneadh i
1 pl chluinneadh sinn (chluinneamaid3) an cluinneadh sinn (an cluinneamaid3) cha chluinneadh sinn (cha chluinneamaid3) nach cluinneadh sinn (nach cluinneamaid3)
2 pl chluinneadh sibh an cluinneadh sibh cha chluinneadh sibh nach cluinneadh sibh
3 pl chluinneadh iad an cluinneadh iad cha chluinneadh iad nach cluinneadh iad

Notes:

  1. The 1st person singular form is never used with an overt pronoun, the verb contains the pronoun already.
  2. The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu
  3. The 1st person plural has a special inflected form, which like the first person singular is never used with a pronoun. This 1st person plural form is rarely used anymore.


passive

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
1 chluinnte mi an cluinnte mi cha chluinnte mi nach cluinnte mi
2 chluinnte thu an cluinnte thu cha chluinnte thu nach cluinnte thu
3 masc chluinnte e an cluinnte e cha chluinnte e nach cluinnte e
3 fem chluinnte i an cluinnte i cha chluinnte i nach cluinnte i
1 pl chluinnte sinn an cluinnte sinn cha chluinnte sinn nach cluinnte sinn
2 pl chluinnte sibh an cluinnte sibh cha chluinnte sibh nach cluinnte sibh
3 pl chluinnte iad an cluinnte iad cha chluinnte iad nach cluinnte iad


Imperative Mood

The Imperative mood is used when giving a command. 2nd person imperatives are the most common. In English these are translated with by just the verb "Hear!". 1st and 3rd person imperatives translated loosely as "Let me hear", "let us hear", "let he/she/them hear". The 1st person plural and third person imperatives are the same as the conditional forms except without lenition

person form
singular 1 cluinneam1
2 cluinn1
3 masc cluinneadh e
3 fem cluinneadh i
plural 1 cluinneamaid1
2 cluinnibh1
3 cluinneadh iad

Notes

  1. The 1st and 2nd person forms are used without subject pronouns.


References

  • Black, Ronald (2006) Cothrom Ionnsachaidh Peebles: Self-published.
  • Byrne, Michel (2002) Gràmar na Gàidhlig. Eilean Leòdhais: Stòrlann-Acair.
  • Deiseal Earranta tta (2006) Reference Cards: Sealbhairean Roimhearach/Riochdairean Roimhearach.
  • Mark, Colin (2004) The Gaelic-English Dictionary/Am faclair Gàidhlig-Beurla. London: Routledge
  • Mark, Colin (2006), Gaelic Verbs: Systemised and Simplified" 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Steve Savage Publishers. http://www.savagepublishers.com/138.html
  • Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa
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