In this lesson, we will introduce you to Irish personal pronouns, the verbs “to be” and “to have,” and regular verbs in the present tense.
Irish Personal Pronouns
In Irish, personal pronouns are used to refer to people or things. Here are the Irish personal pronouns:
- Mé (I) – pronounced “may”
- Tú (you, singular) – pronounced “too”
- Sé (he) – pronounced “shay”
- Sí (she) – pronounced “shee”
- Muid (we) – pronounced “mwid”
- Sibh (you, plural) – pronounced “shiv”
- Siad (they) – pronounced “sheed”
These personal pronouns are important because they are used with verbs to create sentences.
Verbs “To Be” and “To Have”
In Irish, the verbs “to be” and “to have” are irregular. Here are the present tense forms of these verbs:
- Tá mé (I am) – pronounced “taw may”
- Tá tú (you are, singular) – pronounced “taw too”
- Tá sé (he is) – pronounced “taw shay”
- Tá sí (she is) – pronounced “taw shee”
- Tá muid (we are) – pronounced “taw mwid”
- Tá sibh (you are, plural) – pronounced “taw shiv”
- Tá siad (they are) – pronounced “taw sheed”
- Tá (to have) – pronounced “taw”
Regular Verbs in Present Tense
In Irish, regular verbs in the present tense are formed by adding an “-imid” ending to the stem of the verb for the first person plural (we). Here’s an example using the verb “labhair” (to speak):
- Labhraímid (we speak) – pronounced “low-ree-mid”
The stem of the verb is “labhair,” and the “-imid” ending indicates the first person plural. To use this verb with other personal pronouns, simply drop the “-imid” ending and add the appropriate pronoun.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we introduced you to Irish personal pronouns, the verbs “to be” and “to have,” and regular verbs in the present tense. Practice using these verbs with different personal pronouns, and become familiar with regular verbs in the present tense. Keep practicing and exploring the language to deepen your understanding of this fascinating language.