First Conjugation

The first conjugation covers most monosyllabic Irish verbs and some polysyllabic verbs. Learn the patterns for verbs with broad and slender endings.

Verbs Conjugation Regular Verbs First Conjugation

Irish regular verbs are divided into two main groups, known as conjugations. The first conjugation is the larger of the two and includes most verbs with a one-syllable stem, as well as some specific types of multi-syllable verbs.

This page outlines which verbs belong to this group and how to form their various tenses and moods based on whether their stem ends in a broad or slender consonant.

Verb Types in the First Conjugation

The first conjugation includes several distinct categories of verbs.

Monosyllabic Verbs

This is the largest group and includes all verbs with a one-syllable stem ending in either a broad or slender consonant.

glan (to clean)
tuig (to understand)
dún (to close)
bris (to break)

Monosyllabic Verbs Ending in -igh

Verbs with a single syllable that end in -igh also belong to this conjugation.

nigh (to wash)
léigh (to read)
dóigh (to burn)

Polysyllabic Verbs Ending in -áil

Multi-syllable verbs ending in -áil are part of the first conjugation. When adding endings, the final slender consonant of the stem often becomes broad (a process called depalatalisation). This happens before endings beginning with -f- but not always before those beginning with -t-.

sabhálann sé - he saves (from sabháil, to save)
sabháiltear - one saves
sabhálfar - one will save

Other Polysyllabic Verbs

Several other types of multi-syllable verbs fall into this category, often with specific rules about depalatalisation.

Verbs with a long vowel in the final syllable (e.g., -áin, -óil, -úir) usually depalatalise their final consonant before all endings.
- taispeánann sé - he shows (from taispeáin)
- tionólann sé - he gathers (from tionóil)
Some verbs in this group do not depalatalise.
- tiomáineann sé - he drives (from tiomáin)
Some verbs already have a broad stem ending.
- gearánaim - I complain (from gearán)
Verbs with a short vowel in the final syllable and a final consonant other than l, n, or r often depalatalise.
- adhlacann sé - he buries (from adhlaic)
Some verbs in this group remain slender.
- comhaireann sé - he calculates (from comhair)

Syncopated Verbs

A few polysyllabic verbs undergo syncope, where a vowel is dropped from the middle of the word when an ending is added.

Verbs like deighil (to separate) always syncopate, and the endings added are slender.
- deighleann tú - you separate
- deighlfidh tú - you will separate
- deighltear - one separates
Verbs like adhair (to adore) syncopate with depalatalisation, and the endings added are broad.
- adhrann tú - you adore
- adhrfaidh tú - you will adore
- adhrtar - one adores
The modern verbs siúil (to walk) and fón (to serve) follow this pattern due to their historical spellings (siubhail, fóghain), which were syncopated.
- siúlann sé - he walks
- siúlfaidh sé - he will walk
- siúltar - one walks
- fónann sé - he serves
- fónfaidh sé - he will serve
- fóntar - one serves

Historical and Phonetic Note

In contrast to verbs of the Second Conjugation, many of these syncopated verbs are disyllabic only in their historical spelling. In modern spoken Irish, the middle consonants became silent or merged with vowels to form diphthongs, making the verbs effectively monosyllabic. For example, adhair is pronounced [air′] and deighil is [d′ail′]. The syncope, therefore, primarily affects the written form, while the main audible change is the quality (broad or slender) of the final consonant.

The Verb fuirsigh

The polysyllabic verb fuirsigh (to harrow, hurry) is a special case. It only uses the -igh ending in the past tense and the 2nd person singular imperative; otherwise, it conjugates like a verb with a broad ending.

fuirseann sé - he hurries
fuirsfidh sé - he will hurry
d’fhuirsigh sé - he hurried
fuirstear - one hurries

Compound Verbs

Verbs formed by adding a prefix to a first-conjugation verb generally remain in the first conjugation.

forghabhann sé - he seizes (from for- + gabh)
ruadhónn sé - he singes (from rua- + dóigh)

Conjugation Patterns

The endings for first-conjugation verbs depend on whether the final consonant of the stem is broad (followed by a, o, u) or slender (followed by e, i).

Verbs with Broad Endings

These verbs have a stem ending in a broad consonant, like glan.

Indicative Mood Endings (Broad)

Person	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Future
1st Sg.	`-aim`	`-as`	`-ainn`	`-fad`
2nd Sg.	`-ann` tú	`-ais`	`-tá`	`-faidh` tú
3rd Sg.	`-ann` sé	sé	`-adh` sé	`-faidh` sé
1st Pl.	`-aimid`	`-amar`	`-aimis`	`-faimid`
2nd Pl.	`-ann` sibh	`-abhair`	`-adh` sibh	`-faidh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`-ann` siad	`-adar`	`-aidís`	`-faidh` siad
Autonomous	`-tar`	`-adh`	`-taí`	`-far`
Relative	`-as`	—	—	`-fas`

Other Moods Endings (Broad)

Person	Conditional	Imperative	Present Subjunctive	Past Subjunctive
1st Sg.	`-fainn`	`-aim`	`-a` mé	`-ainn`
2nd Sg.	`-fá`	(stem)	`-a` tú	`-tá`
3rd Sg.	`-fadh` sé	`-adh` sé	`-a` sé	`-adh` sé
1st Pl.	`-faimis`	`-aimis`	`-aimid`	`-aimis`
2nd Pl.	`-fadh` sibh	`-aigí`	`-a` sibh	`-adh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`-faidís`	`-aidís`	`-a` siad	`-aidís`
Autonomous	`-faí`	`-tar`	`-tar`	`-taí`

Example: glan (to clean)

Indicative Mood

Person	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Future
1st Sg.	`glanaim`	`ghlanas`	`ghlanainn`	`glanfad`
2nd Sg.	`glanann` tú	`ghlanais`	`ghlantá`	`glanfaidh` tú
3rd Sg.	`glanann` sé	`ghlan` sé	`ghlanadh` sé	`glanfaidh` sé
1st Pl.	`glanaimid`	`ghlanamar`	`ghlanaimis`	`glanfaimid`
2nd Pl.	`glanann` sibh	`ghlanabhair`	`ghlanadh` sibh	`glanfaidh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`glanann` siad	`ghlanadar`	`ghlanaidís`	`glanfaidh` siad
Autonomous	`glantar`	`glanadh`	`ghlantaí`	`glanfar`
Relative	a `ghlanas`	—	—	a `ghlanfas`

Other Moods

Person	Conditional	Imperative	Present Subjunctive	Past Subjunctive
1st Sg.	`ghlanfainn`	`glanaim`	`go nglana` mé	`dá nglanainn`
2nd Sg.	`ghlanfá`	`glan`	`go nglana` tú	`dá nglantá`
3rd Sg.	`ghlanfadh` sé	`glanadh` sé	`go nglana` sé	`dá nglanadh` sé
1st Pl.	`ghlanfaimis`	`glanaimis`	`go nglanaimid`	`dá nglanaimis`
2nd Pl.	`ghlanfadh` sibh	`glanaigí`	`go nglana` sibh	`dá nglanadh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`ghlanfaidís`	`glanaidís`	`go nglana` siad	`dá nglanaidís`
Autonomous	`ghlanfaí`	`glantar`	`go nglantar`	`dá nglantaí`

Verbs with Slender Endings

These verbs have a stem ending in a slender consonant, like tuig.

Indicative Mood Endings (Slender)

Person	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Future
1st Sg.	`-im`	`-eas`	`-inn`	`-fead`
2nd Sg.	`-eann` tú	`-is`	`-teá`	`-fidh` tú
3rd Sg.	`-eann` sé	sé	`-eadh` sé	`-fidh` sé
1st Pl.	`-imid`	`-eamar`	`-imis`	`-fimid`
2nd Pl.	`-eann` sibh	`-eabhair`	`-eadh` sibh	`-fidh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`-eann` siad	`-eadar`	`-idís`	`-fidh` siad
Autonomous	`-tear`	`-eadh`	`-tí`	`-fear`
Relative	`-eas`	—	—	`-feas`

Other Moods Endings (Slender)

Person	Conditional	Imperative	Present Subjunctive	Past Subjunctive
1st Sg.	`-finn`	`-im`	`-e` mé	`-inn`
2nd Sg.	`-feá`	(stem)	`-e` tú	`-teá`
3rd Sg.	`-feadh` sé	`-eadh` sé	`-e` sé	`-eadh` sé
1st Pl.	`-fimis`	`-imis`	`-imid`	`-imis`
2nd Pl.	`-feadh` sibh	`-igí`	`-e` sibh	`-eadh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`-fidís`	`-idís`	`-e` siad	`-idís`
Autonomous	`-fí`	`-tear`	`-tear`	`-tí`

Example: tuig (to understand)

Indicative Mood

Person	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Future
1st Sg.	`tuigim`	`thuigeas`	`thuiginn`	`tuigfead`
2nd Sg.	`tuigeann` tú	`thuigis`	`thuigteá`	`tuigfidh` tú
3rd Sg.	`tuigeann` sé	`thuig` sé	`thuigeadh` sé	`tuigfidh` sé
1st Pl.	`tuigimid`	`thuigeamar`	`thuigimis`	`tuigfimid`
2nd Pl.	`tuigeann` sibh	`thuigeabhair`	`thuigeadh` sibh	`tuigfidh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`tuigeann` siad	`thuigeadar`	`thuigidís`	`tuigfidh` siad
Autonomous	`tuigtear`	`tuigeadh`	`thuigtí`	`tuigfear`
Relative	a `thuigeas`	—	—	a `thuigfeas`

Other Moods

Person	Conditional	Imperative	Present Subjunctive	Past Subjunctive
1st Sg.	`thuigfinn`	`tuigim`	`go dtuige` mé	`dá dtuiginn`
2nd Sg.	`thuigfeá`	`tuig`	`go dtuige` tú	`dá dtuigteá`
3rd Sg.	`thuigfeadh` sé	`tuigeadh` sé	`go dtuige` sé	`dá dtuigeadh` sé
1st Pl.	`thuigfimis`	`tuigimis`	`go dtuigimid`	`dá dtuigimis`
2nd Pl.	`thuigfeadh` sibh	`tuigigí`	`go dtuige` sibh	`dá dtuigeadh` sibh
3rd Pl.	`thuigfidís`	`tuigidís`	`go dtuige` siad	`dá dtuigidís`
Autonomous	`thuigfí`	`tuigtear`	`go dtuigtear`	`dá dtuigtí`