Conjugation Concepts

Irish verbs work differently from those in many other European languages. This page introduces the foundational concepts you need to understand before learning specific tenses, such as the role of the verbal noun, the verb root, and the verb stem.

The Verbal Noun Instead of an Infinitive

Unlike English, Irish verbs do not have an infinitive form like “to do” or “to see”. Instead, Irish uses a form called the verbal noun (an t-ainm briathartha).

While it often translates to the English infinitive, the verbal noun behaves grammatically like a noun. Understanding this distinction is a key step in learning Irish sentence structure.

Verb Root and Verb Stem

To conjugate a verb, you need to identify its root and stem.

The verb root (fréamh briathartha) is the most basic form of the verb. It is identical to the 2nd person singular imperative, which is the command form you would give to one person.

• mol - praise!
• beannaigh - bless!

The verb stem (stoc briathartha) is the form to which conjugation endings are attached. The relationship between the root and the stem depends on the verb’s conjugation class.

1st Conjugation Verbs

For most verbs in the 1st conjugation, the root and the stem are identical.

• Verb root: mol
• Verb stem: mol-
• Example: molann sé - he praises

However, some changes can occur to form the stem:

• Depalatalisation: Verbs ending in -áil often change the final slender consonant to a broad one for the stem.

  • Root: sabháil
  • Stem: sabhál-
  • Example: sabhálann sé - he saves

• Dropping -igh: Monosyllabic verbs with a long vowel followed by -igh drop the -igh to form the stem.

  • Root: dóigh
  • Stem: dó-
  • Example: dónn sé - he burns
  • Root: léigh
  • Stem: lé-
  • Example: léann sé - he reads

2nd Conjugation Verbs

In the 2nd conjugation, the stem is often formed by adding -igh (or -í- orthographically) and sometimes involves syncope (dropping a vowel from the middle of the word).

• Root: imir (to play)
• Stem: imr(igh)-
• Example: imríonn sé - he plays

Here, the -igh is part of the stem, even though it is not visible in the root.

How Verbs are Listed in Dictionaries

The form used to look up a verb in a dictionary or grammar book is called its citation form or lemma.

In Irish, the citation form is almost always the verb root (the 2nd person singular imperative). This is true even for irregular verbs where the imperative form may differ significantly from other tenses.

• mol - to praise
• beannaigh - to bless
• tar - to come (irregular)
• bí - to be (irregular)

While the verb root is the most common citation form, you may occasionally see other forms used:

• 1st person singular present: Some dictionaries might use forms like molaim (I praise) or beannaím (I bless).
• Verbal noun: This is typically only used as a citation form in specific phrases, such as teach a thógáil (to build a house).