91ȱ

Past tense of regular verbs

Past and future tense of regular verbs

Forming the past and future tenses of verbs in Gaelic is straightforward on the whole. If you know the root of a verb, then you can form other tenses.

The past tense

There are variations in the way verbs form the past tense. They can be looked at in the following way:

  • To form the past tense of verbs beginning with a consonant insert an h after the first letter of the root, eg ù. The three exceptions are verbs beginning with the letters l, n, or r. They do not require an h, eg laigh
  • All verbs beginning with a vowel put dh' before the initial vowel to form the past tense, eg
  • Verbs which begin with f + vowel have dh' inserted before the f and have an h inserted after the f, eg fuirich becomes dh'fhuirich.

NB There are no verbs beginning with the letter h in Gaelic.

Examples

RootMeaningPast tense
brisbreakbhris
cuirputchuir
ùcloseù
gabhtakeghabh
millspoilmhill
òmarryò
suidhsitshuidh
togliftthog
Rootbris
Meaningbreak
Past tensebhris
Rootcuir
Meaningput
Past tensechuir
Rootù
Meaningclose
Past tenseù
Rootgabh
Meaningtake
Past tenseghabh
Rootmill
Meaningspoil
Past tensemhill
Rootò
Meaningmarry
Past tenseò
Rootsuidh
Meaningsit
Past tenseshuidh
Roottog
Meaninglift
Past tensethog
RootMeaningPast tense
laslightlas
nighwashnigh
ruithrunruith
Rootlas
Meaninglight
Past tenselas
Rootnigh
Meaningwash
Past tensenigh
Rootruith
Meaningrun
Past tenseruith
RootMeaningPast tense
aithnichknow, recognisedh'aithnich
èrise, get updh'è
itheatdh'ith
òdrink
ullaichpreparedh'ullaich
Rootaithnich
Meaningknow, recognise
Past tensedh'aithnich
Rootè
Meaningrise, get up
Past tensedh'è
Rootith
Meaningeat
Past tensedh'ith
Rootò
Meaningdrink
Past tense
Rootullaich
Meaningprepare
Past tensedh'ullaich
RootMeaningPast tense
fuirichwait, staydh'fhuirich
falaichhidedh'fhalaich
faighnichaskdh'fhaighnich
Rootfuirich
Meaningwait, stay
Past tensedh'fhuirich
Rootfalaich
Meaninghide
Past tensedh'fhalaich
Rootfaighnich
Meaningask
Past tensedh'fhaighnich

Related links