Tha mi a ‘sgrìobhadh leabhar.
(Tha sibh etc…..)
Tràth Caithte
Bha mi a ’sgrìobhadh leabhar.
(Bha sibh etc……..)
The above examples show the most common and easiest ways to create the present tense and past, using the continuous of the verb “to be” . To use the simple present (instead of the Continuous present) there is a construction, unusual in Gaelic, using the future tense.
Sgriobhadh mi or bidh mi a´sgriobhadh
The future tense used as the present simple is more common when we talk about things we do habitually and things which happen a lot or are generally true. Practice will make this clearer. Please try to use the continuous until you have more practice with this.
____________________________________________________
H is added to create the simple past, here is a chart of imperatives. Notice the irregular form of “DH” with vowels” and “F”. It is also interesting to notice that nothing happens to “SG” and “R”
Imperative |
English Translation |
Past Tense |
English Translation |
fàg! |
leave! |
dh’fhàg |
left |
ionnsaich! |
learn! |
dh’ionnsaich |
learnt |
pòg! |
kiss! |
phòg |
kissed |
obair! |
work! |
dh’obair |
worked |
sabaid! |
fight! |
shabaid |
fought |
sgrìobh! |
write! |
sgrìobh |
wrote |
ruith! |
run! |
ruith |
run |
seas! |
sit! |
sheas |
sat |
teasgaisg! |
teach! |
theagaisg |
taught |
tog! |
lift! |
thog |
lifted |
dh´ionnsaich e
Dè dh‘ionnsaich thu anns an obair sin?
It is formed by exactly the same rules as the continuous present tense.
Questions etc and how to ask them will be shown later