Irregular verbs
There are eleven irregular verbA word used to describe an action or state of being. in Irish. These verbs are called irregular because they do not follow the rules of the present tense. They are the most commonly used verbs and are important to know.
The table below shows these verbs in the positive, negative and question forms.
An Aimsir Láithreach - Briathra Neamhrialta - Present Tense – Irregular Verbs
| Verb | Positive | Negative | Question form | |
| to go | téigh | téim | ní théim | an dtéann tú? |
| to be | bí | bím / tá mé * | ní bhím / níl mé | an mbíonn tú / an bhfuil tú? |
| to do | déan | déanaim | ní dhéanaim | an ndéanann tú? |
| to see | feic | feicim | ní fheicim | an bhfeiceann tú? |
| to say | abair | deirim | ní deirim | an deir tú? |
| to get | faigh | faighim | ní fhaighim | an bhfaigheann tú? |
| to eat | ith | ithim | ní ithim | an itheann tú? |
| to hear | clois / cluin | cluinim / cloisim | ní chluinim / ní chloisim | an gcluineann tú / an gcloiseann tú? |
| to give | tabhair | tugaim | ní thugaim | an dtugann tú? |
| to come | tar | tagaim | ní thagaim | an dtagann tú? |
| to catch | beir ar | beirim ar | ní bheirim ar | an mbeireann tú ar? |
| Verb |
| Positive |
| Negative |
| Question form |
| to go |
| téigh |
| téim |
| ní théim |
| an dtéann tú? |
| to be |
| bí |
| bím / tá mé * |
| ní bhím / níl mé |
| an mbíonn tú / an bhfuil tú? |
| to do |
| déan |
| déanaim |
| ní dhéanaim |
| an ndéanann tú? |
| to see |
| feic |
| feicim |
| ní fheicim |
| an bhfeiceann tú? |
| to say |
| abair |
| deirim |
| ní deirim |
| an deir tú? |
| to get |
| faigh |
| faighim |
| ní fhaighim |
| an bhfaigheann tú? |
| to eat |
| ith |
| ithim |
| ní ithim |
| an itheann tú? |
| to hear |
| clois / cluin |
| cluinim / cloisim |
| ní chluinim / ní chloisim |
| an gcluineann tú / an gcloiseann tú? |
| to give |
| tabhair |
| tugaim |
| ní thugaim |
| an dtugann tú? |
| to come |
| tar |
| tagaim |
| ní thagaim |
| an dtagann tú? |
| to catch |
| beir ar |
| beirim ar |
| ní bheirim ar |
| an mbeireann tú ar? |
* 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 / don’t do and whether you do or don’t do something habitually, whereas tá mé, níl mé and an bhfuil tú? all relate to the here and now.
Can you try to translate the following into Irish using I?
Question
I go - (téigh)
téim
Question
I give - (tabhair)
tugaim
Question
I get - (faigh)
faighim
Question
I say - (abair)
deirim
Question
I see - (feic)
feicim
Question
I am - (bí)
tá mé
Question
I don’t do - (déan)
ní dhéanaim
Question
do I catch? - (beir ar)
an mbeirim ar?
Question
I don’t hear - (clois)
ní chloisim
Question
I don’t eat - (ith)
ní ithim
Can you try to translate the following into Irish using you, she, we, you (plural) and they?
Question
he doesn’t go - (téigh)
ní théann sé
Question
he doesn’t see - (feic)
ní fheiceann sé
Question
does she do? - (déan)
an ndéanann sí?
Question
do they eat? - (ith)
an itheann siad?
Question
we hear - (clois)
cloiseann muid
Question
you (plural) give - (tabhair)
tugann sibh
Question
they come - (tar)
tagann siad
Question
they do not say - (abair)
ní deir siad
Question
we are not - (bí)
níl muid
Question
does she get? - (faigh)
an bhfaigheann sí?
