#briathra

Caith is a very versatile verb. I outline below its uses in order of how often I think you would see it in the wild. 

These tenses and moods appear in the below examples, so if you’d like to recap feel free:

Simple Tenses

Impersonal Form (no actor mentioned, e.g. it is done—who did it?)

The Imperative Mood (basic form of verb is used for instructions)

And if you’d like to reference as you go,

Grammar Glossary

Masterpost: Tenses and Moods

1. To wear

Caitheann sí sciorta agus blús She wears a skirt and a blouse

2. Consume

Bia a chaitheamh To consume food

Ná caithtear tobac No smoking (no tobacco to be consumed)

3. Need

Caithfidh mé an máistir a fheiceáil I must see the master

We have addressed expressing a need or duty in the post How to Say: “I have to”.

4. Throw

Díslí a chaitheamh To throw dice

Bhí sé ag caitheamh na ngéag He was throwing his arms about

Caitheadh an cás The case was dismissed (thrown out)

Imperative

Recall that an instruction uses the basic, dictionary forms of verbs:

The Imperative Mood

Stop it! Stop! Stad! Stad de! Éirigh as! (Rise out of it) Leag as! (Knock it off) Cuir uait! (Put it away from you)

Directing someone else to put a stop to something:

Cuir cosc lena theanga Stop him from talking

In the above, the dictionary form of cuir (to put) is used as that is the instruction “put a stop”, not “stop”.

In signs, we often see cosc ar:

Cosc ar thobac No smoking

Cosc ar pháirceáil No parking

In this post, we learn how to negate verbal nouns. Recall the verbal noun: a noun created from the verb form. 

Summary and Introduction

All posts on the verbal noun

It is often prefaced with a or á (contraction of ag a). 

The verbal noun is negated using gan, meaning ‘without’. Read the following examples:

Ba mhaith liom gan í a bheith anseo. I’d like her not to be here. 

Is cuma liom gan fanacht. I don’t mind not staying. 

We have previously discussed the irregular verb feic. However, there is an earlier form of feic that was used in the present, imperfect, future and conditional tenses. You might want to recap on these: 

The Irregular Verb Feic

Present and Future Tenses

Imperfect Tense (Habitual Past Tense)

Conditional Mood

Dependent Forms

Glossary of Grammatical Terms (The above four, summarised)

This special (but archaic) form was chí, and was used as an absolute form of feic. The absolute form simply refers to a concept that is complete on its own. For example, ‘I see’. It does not need something else to complete the concept. It is the opposite of the dependent form, which needs something more: for example, “if you don’t do this…"—then what?

Tense

Present Imperfect Future Conditional

Dependent

Feiceann Feiceadh Feicfidh Feicfeadh

Absolute

(Do)chíonn (Do)chíodh (Do)chífidh (Do)chífeadh

Verbs

Obair, imir, siúl, rith, tiomáin, eitil, snámh, téigh, stop, stad, lean, ceap, meas, labhair, abair, ith, ól, maraigh, bás a fháil, básaigh, miongháire a dhéanamh, bheith ag gáire, caoin, ceannaigh, íoc, díol, caith, scaoil, lámhach, foghlaim, léim, preab, boladh a fháil, bolaigh, clois, cluin, éist, blais, teagmhaigh le, bain do, bain le, feic, breathnaigh, póg, dóigh, bheith lasta, bheith ar lasadh, leáigh,  tochail, pléasc, suigh, seas, grá a bheith ag X do, téigh thar bráid, téigh thart, imigh thart, gearr, troid, luigh síos, rinc, damhsaigh, codladh, suan, dúisigh, múscail, can, cas, comhair, cuntais, pós, buaigh, caill, measc, crom, lúb, nigh, cócaráil, réitigh, oscail, dún, scríobh, glaoigh, cas, iompaigh, tóg, déan, múin, teagasc, fás, tarraing, línigh, cothaigh, beathaigh, ceap, caith, glan, faigh, tit, brúigh, iompair, bris, croch, maisigh, bheith ar creathadh, croith, sínigh, comharthaigh, buail

All verbs here are in their basic dictionary forms, which are the “instruction” forms (to one person). Learn about how to conjugate verbs: 

Tenses and Moods (changing verbs)

Posts on briathra

Adjectives

Fada, gairid, ard, beag, leathan, caol, mór, mall, tapa, te, fuar, fionnuar, fuaraithe, nua, sean, óg, maith, breá, dona, fliuch, tirim, tinn, folláin, glórach, ciúin, áthas, brón, álainn, gránna, bodhar, dall, caoch, deas, suarach, saibhir, bocht, tiubh, ramhar, tanaí, costasach, daor, saor, cothrom, cuartha, fireann, baineann, teann, scaoilte, íseal, bog, crua, éasca, deacair, domhain, éadomhain, baoth, glan, salach, láidir, lag, marbh, beo, trom, éadrom, dorcha, sorcha, clúiteach, cáiliúil

Emotional adjectives are generally on someone: “áthas orm” — happiness is upon me. 

Posts on aidiachtaí

Colours

Dearg, rua, glas, uaine, gorm, buí, donn, bándearg, oráiste, dubh, bán, geall, fionn, liath, dath

We’ve previously encountered verbal nouns in my post on the many ways to convey that someone is making something. We also saw it several posts back in the form “I am at X’s eating/hitting”.

The verbal noun, in its use, can be literally translated to "at X" for "ag X" and "at its X" for "a X". So, for example, if I like dancing, I would say "It's good with me at dancing", making "dancing" a noun. This gives: Is maith liom ag rince. In an earlier post, we also saw a sentence that used both "at X" and "at its X":

Bhí siad ag déanamh a ndícheall cáca a dhéanamh They were at doing their best to be at the cake's making

Another form is using á where X is he/she/it or them, and you can read more about that here.

In this post, we will dive into verb conjugations to form nouns.

We haven't yet addressed the verbal noun with another person, so let's start this rolling.

These three posts could be of interest if you’re unfamiliar with the form:

The Verbal Noun

Verb forms

The contraction á

Following from the form at X’s verb, we have, instead of ‘at its eating’, at your eating, or I am eating you. 

Tá mé do d'ithe

Tá mé ag d'ithe

Directional words and ones describing position can be very different. For example, if something is down: thíos. If it is going down, síos. If it is coming down, aníos. The below compares position and direction.

Position

Istigh Amuigh Sa bhaile Thuas Thíos

Direction

Isteach Amach Abhaile Suas/Aníos Síos/Anuas

Istigh and amuigh can be reinforced with taobh for emphasis.

Now for up and down, it’s far more interesting in that the position of the speaker matters. As I have already illustrated above, it matters if the object is going towards or away from the speaker. For example, if the speaker is on the same level or above the object:

You’ll fall down. Titfidh tú síos.

But, if the speaker is on a level lower than the object,

You’ll fall down. Titfidh tú anuas.

Going Places

The same applies to back and forth movements, with abhus meaning here and thall meaning over there or yonder.

Going over there (speaker is here) Ag dul anonn/sall

Coming back from there Ag teacht anall

Of course, the verb can be replaced to suit the message:

Come here (from there). Tar anall.

They have a small house over in Kerry and a big one over here. Tá teach beag acu thall i gCiarraí, agus tá ceann mór abhus.