Question form
To put a A word used to describe an action or state of being. into the question form in the future tense, put an before the verb and In Irish, an eclipse / urú is when a letter is put in front of a word. / urú the verb.
In Irish, an eclipse / urú is when a letter is put in front of a word.
For example, Baile Átha Cliath, but i mBaile Átha Cliath.
Not all letters can take an eclipse / urú. If the letter is not in the rule, don’t make any changes.
Here is the rule to know how to eclipse / urú.
Put:
| m | before | b | eg i mbaile |
| g | before | c | eg i gCiarraí |
| n | before | d | eg i nDoire |
| bh | before | f | eg i bhfuinneog |
| n | before | g | eg i nGaillimh |
| b | before | p | eg i bPáras |
| d | before | t | eg i dtábla |
| m |
| before |
| b |
| eg i mbaile |
| g |
| before |
| c |
| eg i gCiarraí |
| n |
| before |
| d |
| eg i nDoire |
| bh |
| before |
| f |
| eg i bhfuinneog |
| n |
| before |
| g |
| eg i nGaillimh |
| b |
| before |
| p |
| eg i bPáras |
| d |
| before |
| t |
| eg i dtábla |
An easy way to remember how to eclipse / urú is with this rhyme:
| mb | many boys |
| gc | go camping |
| nd | near derry |
| bhf | but have found |
| ng | no girls |
| bp | but peaceful |
| dt | dudes there |
| mb |
| many boys |
| gc |
| go camping |
| nd |
| near derry |
| bhf |
| but have found |
| ng |
| no girls |
| bp |
| but peaceful |
| dt |
| dudes there |
Let’s have a look at how to change a positive into a question form using the urú / eclipse rule.
| Positive | Question form | ||
| I will put | cuirfidh | will I put? | an gcuirfidh? |
| you will drink | ólfaidh tú | will you drink? | an ólfaidh* tú? |
| he will wait | fanfaidh sé | will he wait? | an bhfanfaidh sé? |
| she will do | déanfaidh sí | will she do? | an ndéanfaidh sí? |
| we will win | bainfidh muid | will we win? | an mbainfidh muid? |
| Positive |
| Question form |
| I will put |
| cuirfidh |
| will I put? |
| an gcuirfidh? |
| you will drink |
| ólfaidh tú |
| will you drink? |
| an ólfaidh* tú? |
| he will wait |
| fanfaidh sé |
| will he wait? |
| an bhfanfaidh sé? |
| she will do |
| déanfaidh sí |
| will she do? |
| an ndéanfaidh sí? |
| we will win |
| bainfidh muid |
| will we win? |
| an mbainfidh muid? |
*A A letter representing a speech sound made when breath flows freely out of the mouth. The letters a, e, i, o, u are vowels. is not in the rhyme and so cannot be eclipsed / urú.
Can you try to put the following into the question form?
If unsure, check the rules above.
Question
an + sroichfidh + mé
an sroichfidh?
s is not in the rule and so cannot be urú / eclipsed
Question
an + glanfaidh muid
an nglanfaidh muid?
Question
an + cuideoidh sí
an gcuideoidh sí?
Question
an + díolfaidh siad
an ndíolfaidh siad?
Question
an + fágfaidh tú
an bhfágfaidh tú?
Question
an + buailfidh sé
an mbuailfidh sé?
Question
an + druidfidh sibh
an ndruidfidh sibh?
Question
an + pógfaidh sé
an bpógfaidh sé?
Question
an + titfidh siad
an dtitfidh siad?
Question
an + glanfaidh muid
an nglanfaidh muid?
Question
an + osclóidh sí
an nan osclóidh sí?
A letter representing a speech sound made when breath flows freely out of the mouth. The letters a, e, i, o, u are vowels. are not in the rule and so cannot be urú / eclipsed
