Irish Lesson 102

"IF" SENTENCES WITH "dá" and "mura"

There are other forms for "tá" in addition to:

bheadh sé(ve-YUHK* shay*); he would be

níbheadh sé(nee ve-YUHK* shay*); he wouldn't be

an mbeadh sé? (un me-YUHK* shay*); would he be?

nach mbeadh sé? (nahk* me-YUHK* shay*); wouldn't he be?

dámbeadh sé(daw* me-YUHK* shay*); if he were

mura mbeadh sé(MUR-ruh me-YUHK* shay*); if he weren't

 

These other forms are for "you", "they", "I", and so on. Learn these first for "I would be, you would be", etc.

bheinn (ven); I would be

bheifeá(VE-faw*); you would be

bheadh sé(ve-YUHK* shay*); he would be

bheadh sí(ve-YUHK* shee); she would be

bheimis (VE-mish); we would be

bheadh sibh (ve-YUHK* shiv); you (plural) would be

bheidís (VE-deesh); they would be

bheifí(VE-fee); people would be

For the negative: Níbheinn (nee ven); I would not be, etc.

For questions: An mbeinn? (un men); Would I be?, etc.

Negative questions: nach mbeinn? (nahk* men); wouldn't I be?, etc.

For "if"; Dámbeinn (daw* men); If I were, etc.

For "if not": Mura mbeinn (MUR-ruh men); If I weren't, etc.

Go through each of the six series here out loud several times before reading any of the practice sentences.

 

Review the conditional with "tá":

Bheinn inÉirinn, dámbeadh m'athair ann (ven in AY*R-in daw* me-YUHK* MAH-ir oun).

Dámbeifeátinn, bheadh imníorm (daw* VE-faw* tin, ve-YUHK* IM-nee OH-ruhm).

Mura mbeimis sa cathair, an mbeidís leatsa? (MUR-ruh ME-mish suh K*AH-hir, an ME-deesh LAT-suh). Níbheidís (nee VE-deesh).

Nach mbeadh Séamas agus Nóra ag baile, dámbeadh sibh ag teacht isteach anocht?

Dámbeadh Brian ag dul abhaile anuraidh, an mbeifeácois farraige? (uh-NOOR-ee; kish FAH-rig-e). Níbheinn.

 

Key: I would be in Ireland, if my father were there. If you were sick, I would be worried. If we weren't in the city, would they be with you? They would be.

Wouldn't Séamas and Nóra be at home, if you were coming in tonight? If Brian had been going home last year, would you have been at the seashore? I wouldn't have been.

 

REPETITIVE DRILL WITH THE CONDITIONAL

Go through a repetitive drill, aloud of course, for the conditional:

An mbeinn anseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile?

Níbheinn anseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile.

Bheifeáanseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile.

An mbeifeáanseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile?

Níbheifeáanseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile.

Bheidh séanseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile. Continue with sí, bheimis, bheadh sibh, and bheidís. The last sentence will be: Bheinn anseo, mura mbeadh Seán sa bhaile.

ANOTHER REPETITIVE DRILL

Nach mbeinn i gCorcaigh, dámbeadh airgead agam?

Níbheinn i gCorcaigh, dámbeadh airgead agam.

Bheifeái gCorcaigh, dámbeadh airgead agam.

Nach bheifeái gCorcaigh, dámbeadh airgead agam? Continue with sé, sí, bheimis, bheadh sibh, and bheidís. The last sentence will be:

Bheinn i gCorcaigh, dámbeadh airgead agam.

 

Insint neamhdhireach (in-shint nyav-yi-rahk*); indirect speech

"Go mbeadh" and "nach mbeadh" are typical forms. Read these sentences aloud and picture their meaning.

Deir Cormac go mbeadháthas air, dámbeadh biseach ar a mhadra (AW*-huhs; BI-shahk*).

Deirim leat nach mbeinn ar an mbád mura mbeidís ann.

Dúirt Máire liom go mbeadh síar an eitleán roimh a tría chlog san iarnóin, dámbeadh cead aici imeacht (ET-i-law*n; eer-NOH-in).

Key: Cormac says that he would be happy if his dog were feeling better. I tell you that I wouldn't be on the boat if they weren't there. Máire told me that she would be on the airplane before three o'clock in the afternoon, if she had permission to leave.

Another purpose of the conditional in indirect speech in the past tense is to indicate that the speaker was talking about the future. An example:

Dúirt méléi go mbeidhÉamonn i Nua Eabhrac ar ball (DOO-irt may* lay* goh me-YUHK* AY*-muhn i NOO-uh OU-ruhk er boul); I told her thatÉamonn would be in New York presently.

This means that the speaker's actual words to "her" were:Éamonn will be in New York presently.

Sometimes you must be careful in wording when telling what someone said would happen in the future. An example of this:

Suppose that Nóra has said to Síle (SHEE-luh); Beimid i nGaillimh i gceann tamaill; We will be in Galway in a little while.

At the present time, Nóra should say: Dúirt méle Síle go mbeimis i nGaillimh i gceann tamaill.

If Síle were speaking at the present time, however, she would say: Dúirt síliom go mbeadh mise agus sise i nGaillimh i gceann tamaill, or: Dúirt síliom go mbeidís i nGaillimh i gceann tamaill; she told me that they would be in Galway in a little while.

The choice would depend on whether Síle had been among the original "we". (She might have been merely a friend to whom Nóra was telling that she (Nóra) and another friend would be in Galway.)