The Past Tense in Irish: Lenition and the Irregular Verbs
How regular Irish verbs form the past tense with lenition or d', and a list of the most important irregular verbs you need to know.
The Irish past tense is simpler than the present in one way: there are no endings for different people. The verb stays the same, and the pronoun follows.
Regular verbs: lenition
For most verbs, the first consonant is lenited (softened with an h):
| Present stem | Past | Example |
|---|---|---|
| buail | bhuail | Bhuail mé leis. — I met him. |
| cuir | chuir | Chuir sé an leabhar ar an mbord. — He put the book on the table. |
| ceannaigh | cheannaigh | Cheannaigh mé arán. — I bought bread. |
Verbs starting with a vowel or f: d'
Verbs starting with a vowel, or with f, take d' (and the f is lenited):
- D'ith mé bricfeasta. — I ate breakfast.
- D'ól sí tae. — She drank tea.
- D'fhéach mé ar an teilifís. — I watched the television.
- D'oscail sé an doras. — He opened the door.
The irregular verbs
A small group of verbs have their own past forms, and they are very common:
| English | Present stem | Past |
|---|---|---|
| be | bí | bhí |
| go | téigh | chuaigh |
| come | tar | tháinig |
| do / make | déan | rinne |
| see | feic | chonaic |
| say | abair | dúirt |
| get | faigh | fuair |
| give | tabhair | thug |
| hear | clois | chuala |
Examples:
- Bhí mé tuirseach. — I was tired.
- Chuaigh mé abhaile. — I went home.
- Tháinig sí inné. — She came yesterday.
- Rinne mé an obair. — I did the work.
- Chonaic mé an scannán. — I saw the film.
- Dúirt sé é sin. — He said that.
- Fuair siad an t-airgead. — They got the money.
Negative and question
Irregular verbs have their own negative and question forms:
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| negative (regular) | Níor ól mé. — I didn't drink. |
| negative (be) | Ní raibh mé ann. — I wasn't there. |
| negative (see) | Ní fhaca mé é. — I didn't see it. |
| question (see) | An bhfaca tú é? — Did you see it? |
| question (be) | An raibh tú ann? — Were you there? |
Common mistakes
- Adding endings to the verb (there are none).
- Forgetting lenition in regular verbs.
- Using the present-tense stem in the negative.
Tips
- Learn the irregular nine as a group.
- Make sentences about yesterday.
- Use the dictionary to check irregular forms.
English Irish Dictionary
Offline English–Irish (Gaeilge) dictionary with clear, accurate meanings
More about English Irish Dictionary
Animals and Nature in Irish
Irish words for farm animals, wildlife, plants and landscape features such as mountains, lakes and the sea.
Read article →GAA Words in Irish: Peil, Iomáint and Camógaíocht
The Irish names for Gaelic football, hurling and camogie, key match terms such as cúl and pointe, and the story of the Cumann Lúthchleas Gael.
Read article →Getting Around in Irish: Directions and Transport
Irish words for transport, roads and directions, with the phrases you need to ask the way and understand bilingual road signs.
Read article →Irish Music Words: Ceol, Amhrán, Damhsa and Seisiún
Irish words for traditional music, instruments, songs and dance, including bodhrán, fidil, sean-nós and céilí.
Read article →