Present tense

Do you know how to use the present tense in Irish? Learn some helpful words and phrases and test yourself on others you may already know!

The present tense describes an event which is currently taking place or a state that currently exists.

To put a verb into the present tense, an understanding of the different types of verbs in Irish is needed. To find out more about identifying verbs, check this guide out.

Before you start, remember that…

• verbs with a, o and u as the last vowel are broad
• verbs with e or i as the last vowel are slender

also…

• verbs with only one syllable are short verbs
• verbs with more than one syllable and have either an -igh or -aigh ending are long verbs
• verbs with more than one syllable but do not have the -igh or -aigh ending are syncopated verbs

Learn more about short, long and syncopated verbs as well as broad and slender vowels in this guide.

Let's try to put some verbs into the first person in the present tense.

The first person is when you talk about yourself or what you are doing. In English, this would be like I buy or I eat or I drink.

Step 1

To put the verb in the present tense when talking about myself or I, first remove the endings -igh, -aigh, i or ai if there is one.

cuir

mol

éirigh

cuardaigh

oscail

imir

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

cuir

mol

éir

cuard

oscl

imr

Step 2

Next, let's work out if the verb is broad or slender. Remember, look at the last vowel in the verb after removing its ending if it has one - not before.

If it is broad, add an a before the -im or -ím endings.

If it is slender, don't add anything before the -im or -ím endings.

cuir

mol

éir

cuard

oscl

imr

is slender so ⇒

is broad so ⇒

is slender so ⇒

is broad so ⇒

is broad so ⇒

is slender so ⇒

cuirim

molaim

éirím

cuardaím

osclaím

imrím

What about the mé?

When the first person in the present tense is used in Irish, you'll notice that there is no mé or I after the verb.

This is because the endings -im, -aim, ím, and -aím take place of the mé.

Look at the examples below to see how the endings replace the mé.

• Cuirim scairt ar mo chara gach oíche. - I call my friend every night.
• Molaim na páistí. - I praise the children.
• Éirím ar a hocht a chlog. - I get up at 8 o'clock.
• Cuardaím ar an chat. - I search for the cat.
• Osclaím an doras. - I open the door.
• Imrím peil gach maidin. - I play football every morning.

You now know how to use verbs when using 'myself' or 'I', but what about other people - when using the pronouns you, he, she, we, or they?

Let's have a look at how to put verbs in the present tense in this way.

Step 1

To put a verb into the present tense for you, he, she, we, you (plural), they, first remove the ending –igh / –aigh / –ai / –i if there is one.

cuir

mol

éirigh

cuardaigh

oscail

imir

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

⇒

cuir

mol

éir

cuard

oscl

imr

Step 2

• Add -eann to short slender verbs.

• Add -ann to short broad verbs.

• Add -íonn to long / syncopated slender verbs.

• Add -aíonn to long / syncopated broad verbs.

cuir

mol

éir

cuard

oscl

imr

is slender so ⇒

is broad so ⇒

is slender so ⇒

is broad so ⇒

is broad so ⇒

is slender so ⇒

cuireann

molann

éiríonn

cuardaíonn

osclaíonn

imríonn

Step 3

Unlike when talking about ourselves, add the subject, like the pronouns sé, sí, muid, sibh or siad after the verb to show who is doing the action.

• Cuireann sé scairt orm gach oíche. - He calls me every night.
• Molann sí na páistí. - She praises the children.
• Éiríonn muid ar a seacht a chlog. - We get up at 7 o'clock.
• Cuardaíonn sibh ar an mhadadh. - You (pl) search for the dog.
• Osclaíonn an siopa ar leath i ndiadh a naoi. - The shop opens at half past nine.
• Imríonn Deirbhle rugbaí ag scoil. - Deirbhle plays rugby at school.

Negative and question forms

Use the negative form when saying you aren't doing something.

For example, I do becomes I don't do in the negative.

To put a verb in the negative form in the present tense in Irish, do two things:

• Add ní before the verb
• Aspirate or add a séimhiú (h) to the verb if it begins with a consonant - don't do this to vowels.

It is exactly the same when talking about others. For example, ní druidim mo leabhar - I don't close my book would be ní dhruideann sé a leabhar - he doesn't close his book.

Use the question form when asking if someone did something.

For example, I go becomes did I go? in the question form.

Asking questions is similar to using the negative form. To put a verb in the question form in the past tense in Irish, do two things:

• Add an before the verb
• Eclipse or add an urú at the start of the verb if it begins with certain consonants - don't do this to vowels.

It is exactly the same when asking about others. For example, druideann sé a leabhar - he closes his book would become an ndruideann sé a leabhar? - Does he close his book?

Learn more about adding a séimhiú or urú to words in this guide.

Irregular verbs

There are eleven irregular verbs in Irish. These verbs are called irregular because they do not follow the three rules of the present tense, or rules of other tenses.

They are the most commonly used verbs and it is important to know them.

The table below shows these verbs in the positive, negative and question forms.

Did you notice there are two versions of the positive, negative and question form of the verb to be - bí?

Bím, ní bhím and an mbíonn tú? all relate to things you do or don’t do and whether you do or don’t do something habitually.

Tá mé, níl mé and an bhfuil tú? all relate to the here and now.

Bím ag obair ag an siopa i gcónaí, ach tá mé ag glacadh sos anois.

I'm always working at the shop, but I'm taking a break now.