Verbal Adjective

The Irish verbal adjective (an aidiacht bhriathartha) is a form of a verb that functions like an adjective. It is very similar to the English past participle (e.g., “broken”, “seen”, “written”) and is essential for forming the passive voice and a common type of perfect tense. Colloquially, it is often called the past participle (an rangabháil chaite).

As an adjective, it belongs to the third declension, meaning it does not change its form in the genitive case or in the plural.

The Verbal Adjective (An Aidiacht Bhriathartha)

Formation of First Conjugation Verbs

The ending depends on the final consonant of the verb stem. The endings are -tha/-the or -ta/-te, with the choice between a and e depending on whether the final vowel of the stem is broad or slender.

Formation of Second Conjugation Verbs

Second conjugation verbs typically add -the or -te, often after dropping or changing the final letters of the stem.

Irregular Verbs

The verbal adjectives of the eleven irregular verbs are mostly regular in their formation, but are based on different stems.

Using the Verbal Adjective

The verbal adjective has several key functions in Irish grammar.

As a Standard Adjective

It can be used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a verb like tá).

• an cruiscín briste - the broken jug (attributive)
• Tá an bord briste. - The table is broken. (predicative, passive meaning)
• Tá mé ólta. - I am drunk. (predicative, active meaning)

Forming the Passive Voice

When used with the verb tá, the verbal adjective of a transitive verb creates a passive construction. The agent (the one performing the action) is introduced by the preposition ag.

• Tá an bord briste agam. - The table was broken by me. (Literally: The table is broken at me.)

This also works for verbs that are technically intransitive but take a prepositional object.

• Tá beirthe agam ort. - You were caught by me. (From beir ar: to catch)

Forming the Perfect Tense

The same structure (tá + verbal adjective + ag + agent) is also the most common way to form the perfect tense, equivalent to the English “have done”.

With transitive verbs:

• Tá an bord briste agam. - I have broken the table.

With verbs taking a prepositional object:

• Tá beirthe agam ort. - I have caught you.
• Tá curtha isteach acu ar phost. - They have applied for a post. (From cuir isteach ar: to apply for)
• Tá scríofa agam chugat. - I have written to you. (From scríobh chuig: to write to)

With intransitive verbs: For intransitive verbs, no agent with ag is needed. The subject of tá is the one who has performed the action.

• Tá mé imithe go hÉirinn. - I have gone to Ireland.

In conditional clauses, this perfect tense construction can express the certainty of an event happening.

• Má fheictear thú, tá tú gafa. - If you are seen, you are caught.

In Other Constructions

The verbal adjective can be used predicatively with verbs other than tá.

• Chonaic mé scríofa mar sin é. - I saw it written like that.

With the verb faigh, it forms a structure borrowed from English, “to get something done”.

• conas rudaí a fháil déanta - how to get things done
• Fuair sé gortaithe. - He got hurt.

With deireadh to Mean “Finished”

Combined with the noun deireadh (end), the verbal adjective describes the completion of an action. This is a passive construction where the agent is marked with ag.

• An bhfuil deireadh ite agat? - Are you finished eating? (Literally: Is end eaten at you?)
• Bhí deireadh ráite aige. - He had finished speaking.

Modal Participles (Na Rangabhálacha)

Irish has several “modal participles” which function as adjectives to express the possibility or difficulty of an action. They are similar to English adjectives ending in “-able” or “-ible” (e.g., “breakable”, “edible”).

General Formation

These participles are formed by adding a prefix (in-, so-, or do-) to a base form, which is usually identical to the verbal adjective. Sometimes, the genitive of the verbal noun is used as the base.

For example, from sábháil (to save), the verbal adjective is sábháilte and the verbal noun genitive is sábhála. Both can be used as a base: doshábháilte / doshábhála (unsaveable).

Participle of Suitability (in-)

The prefix in- means “possible” or “-able”.

• inbhriste - breakable
• inite - edible
• insábháilte - saveable

It is often used with the copula:

• Is intuigthe as sin go… - From that one can understand that… / That implies that…
• Is scéal inchreidte dóibh é. - It is a story they can believe.

It can also be formed from the genitive of a noun:

• intráchta - passable (from trácht, traffic)
• inphionóis - punishable (from pionós, punishment)

Participle of Ease (so-)

The prefix so- means “easily possible”.

• sobhriste - easily breakable
• soshábháilte - easily saveable
• so-bhlasta - palatable

It can also be formed from the genitive of a noun:

• so-iompair - portable (from iompar, transport)
• sotheagaisc - teachable (from teagasc, teaching)

Participle of Difficulty (do-)

The prefix do- means “difficult” or “impossible” (“un-”).

• dobhriste - unbreakable
• doshábháilte - unsaveable
• do-bhlasta - unpalatable

It can also be formed from the genitive of a noun:

• dofhaisnéise - indescribable (from faisnéis, information)
• doleithscéil - inexcusable (from leithscéal, excuse)

Participle of Comparison (in- … le)

The prefix in- can be used with the genitive of a noun and the preposition le to express equality, meaning “as…as”.

• Níl sí incheoil le Pól. - She is not as musical as Paul. (from ceol, music)
• Ní raibh aon fhear inchamáin le Pól. - There was no man who could handle a hurley as well as Paul. (from camán, hurley)

Participle of Necessity

This is a rare form, now identical in shape to the verbal adjective, that expresses the necessity or appropriateness of an action. It is almost always used with the copula in the negative, with the logical subject introduced by do.

• Ní gearánta dom ar an aimsir. - I have no reason to complain about the weather.
• Ní tógtha orm é. - I am not to blame for it.
• Ní beite duit ann. - You should not be there. (using the special form beite from bí)
• Ní dulta duit ansin. - You should not go there.

Related Adjective Formations

Prefixes dea- and dí-

Similar to the modal participles, the prefixes dea- (good) and dí- (un-) can combine with the genitive of a noun to form an adjective.

• dea-éadaigh - well-dressed (from éadach, clothing)
• dí-airm - unarmed (from arm, weapon)

Suffix -ach

The adjectival suffix -ach can be added to the genitive of a verbal noun to create an adjective that expresses an ability or tendency to do something.

• labhair (to speak) → labharthach (talkative)
• mínigh (to explain) → mínitheach (explanatory)
• tuig (to understand) → tuisceannach (understanding)