The verb to be in the Gaelic languages

The verb to be is the most important verb in the Gaelic languages and is used to form most of the tenses, in combination with verbnouns.

The table below shows a summary of the verb to be in the three Gaelic languages. For each tense the affirmative, negative, dependent and passive forms are shown. These are usually same for all persons, though there are alternative first person singular and plural forms for some tenses. The conditional tense in Irish has different forms for each person - the third person singular ones are shown here.

Key to abbreviations: GE = Irish Gaelic (Gaeilge), GA = Scottish Gaelic Gàidhlig, GV = Manx Gaelic (Gaelg).

Summary of all tenses

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
tá níl bhfuil táthar	tha chan eil bheil thathar	ta cha nel vel nagh vel	Present tense
bhí raibh raibh bhíothas	bha cha robh robh bhathar	va cha row row nagh row	Past tense
beidh ní bheidh mbeidh beifear	bidh cha bidh bidh bithear	bee cha bee bee nagh bee	Future tense
beadh ní bheadh mbeadh bheifí	biodh cha biodh biodh bhite	veagh cha beagh beagh nagh beagh	Conditional tense

Personal pronouns

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
mé (mise)	mi(se)	mee (mish)	I
tú (tusa)	thu(sa)	oo (uss)	You
sé/é (eisean)	e(san)	eh (eshyn)	He/It*
sí/í (sise/ise)	i(se)	ee (ish)	She/It*
muid(ne) / sinn(e)	sinn(e)	shin(yn)	We
sibh(se)	sibh(se)	shiu(ish)	You (pl/frm)**
siad	iad(san)	ad(syn)	They

* There is no exact equivalent of it. Instead he or she is used depending on the gender of the noun.

** In Irish this form of you is used only as a plural - there's no distinction between informal and formal you as there is in Scottish Gaelic and Manx.

Emphatic forms are shown in brackets.

Personal pronouns (emphatic forms)
- you can also combine the above pronouns with féin (GE) / fhèin (GA) / hene (GV)

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
mise	mise	mish	I
tusa	thusa	uss	You
seisean/sise	esan/ise	eshyn/ish	He/she/it*
muidne / sinne	sinne	shinyn	We
sibhse	sibhse	shiuish	You (pl/frm)**
siadsan	iadsan	adsyn	They

---

Present tense

Affirmative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
tá mé / táim	tha mi	ta me	I am
tá tú	tha thu	t'ou	You are
tá sé/sí	tha e/i	t'eh/ee	He/she/it is
tá muid / táimid	tha sinn	ta shin	We are
tá sibh	tha sibh	ta shiu	You are (pl/frm)
tá siad	tha iad	t'ad	They are
táthar	thatar		Passive

Negative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
níl mé, nílim	chan eil mi	cha nel me	I am not
níl tú	chan eil thu	cha nel oo	You are not
níl sé/sí	chan eil e/i	cha nel eh/ee	He/she/it is not
níl muid, nílmid	chan eil sinn	cha nel shin	We are not
níl sibh	chan eil sibh	cha nel shiu	You are not (pl/frm)
níl siad	chan eil iad	cha nel ad	They are not
níltear	chan eilear		Passive

Dependent form

The form is used after particles an/a (question), nach (GE/GA) / nagh (GV) (negative question) and go (GE/GA) / dy (GV) (dependent). The question particle is not used in Manx. The initial bh is dropped after nach in Scottish Gaelic, e.g. nach eil mi?

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
bhfuil mé / bhfuilim?	bheil mi?	vel me?	Am I?
bhfuil tú?	bheil thu?	vel oo?	Are you?
bhfuil sé/sí?	bheil e/i?	vel eh/ee?	Is he/she/it?
bhfuil muid / bhfuilimid?	bheil sinn?	vel shin?	Are we?
bhfuil sibh?	bheil sibh?	vel shiu?	Are you (pl/frm)?
bhfuil siad?	bheil iad?	vel ad?	Are they?
bhfuiltear	bheilear		Passive

Habitual present tense

This tense only occurs in Irish. It is similar to the simple present tense in English and is used to indicate (repeated) continuous action.

Positive	Negative	Dependent
bím	ní bím	mbím
bíonn tú	ní bhíonn	mbíonn
bíonn sé/sí	ní bhíonn	mbíonn
bíonn muid / bímid	ní bhíonn	mbíonn
bíonn sibh	ní bhíonn	mbíonn
bíonn siad	ní bhíonn	mbíonn

---

Past tense

Affirmative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
bhí mé	bha mi	va me	I was
bhí tú	bha thu	v'ou	You were
bhí sé/sí	bha e/i	v'eh/ee	He/she/it was
bhí muid, bhíomar	bha sinn	va shin	We were
bhí sibh	bha sibh	va shiu	You were (pl/frm)
bhí siad	bha iad	v'ad	They were
bítear	bhatar / bhatas		Passive

Negative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
ní raibh mé	cha robh mi	cha row me	I was not
ní raibh tú	cha robh thu	cha row uss	You were not
ní raibh sé/sí	cha robh e/i	cha row eh/ee	He/she/it was not
ní raibh muid, ní raibhamar	cha robh sinn	cha row shin	We were not
ní raibh sibh	cha robh sibh	cha row shiu	You were not (pl/frm)
ní raibh siad	cha robh iad	cha row ad	They were not
ní bhítear	cha robhar / robhas		Passive

Dependent form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
raibh mé / an bhfuilim?	robh mi?	row me?	Was I?
raibh tú?	robh thu?	r'ou / row uss?	Were you?
raibh sé/sí?	robh e/i?	row eh/ee?	Was he/she/it?
raibh muid / an bhfuilimid?	robh sinn?	row shin?	Were we?
raibh sibh?	robh sibh?	row shiu?	Were you (pl/frm)?
raibh siad?	robh iad?	row ad?	Were they?
mbítear	robhar / robhas		Passive

---

Future tense

Affirmative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
beidh mé	bidh mi	bee'm	I will
beidh tú	bidh thu	bee oo	You will
beidh sé/sí	bidh e/i	bee eh/ish	He/she/it will
beidh muid / beimid	bidh sinn	beemayd	We will
beidh sibh	bidh sibh	bee shiu	You will (pl/frm)
beidh siad	bidh iad	bee ad	They will
beifear	bithear / bitheas		Passive

Negative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
ní bheidh mé	cha bidh mi	cha bee'm	I will not
ní bheidh tú	cha bidh thu	cha bee oo	You will not
ní bheidh sé/sí	cha bidh e/i	cha bee eh/ish	He/she/it will not
ní bheidh muid / ní bheimid	cha bidh sinn	cha beemayd	We will not
ní bheidh sibh	cha bidh sibh	cha bee shiu	You will not (pl/frm)
ní bheidh siad	cha bidh iad	cha bee ad	They will not
ni bheifear	cha bhithear / bhiteas		Passive

Dependent form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
mbeidh mé / an bhfuilim?	bidh mi?	bee'm?	Will I?
mbeidh tú?	bidh thu?	bee oo?	Will you?
mbeidh sé/sí?	bidh e/i?	bee eh/ish?	Will he/she/it?
mbeidh muid / an mbeimid?	bidh sinn?	beemayd?	Will we?
mbeidh sibh?	bidh sibh?	bee shiu?	Will you (pl/frm)?
mbeidh siad?	bidh iad?	bee ad?	Will they?
mbeifear	bithear / bitheas		Passive

---

Conditional tense

Affirmative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
biodh mé	biodh mi / bhithinn	veign	I would
biodh tú	biodh thu	veagh oo	You would
biodh sé/sí	biodh e/i	veagh eh/ish	He/she/it would
biodh muid / biomid	biodh sinn / bhiomaid	veagh shin	We would
biodh sibh	biodh sibh	veagh shiu	You would (pl/frm)
biodh siad	biodh iad	veagh ad	They would
bheifí	bhite / bhithist(e)		Passive

Negative form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
ní bheidh mé	cha biodh mi	cha veagh'm	I would not
ní bheidh tú	cha biodh thu	cha veagh oo	You would not
ní bheidh sé/sí	cha biodh e/i	cha veagh eh/ish	He/she/it would not
ní bheidh muid / ní bheimid	cha biodh sinn	cha veaghmayd	We would not
ní bheidh sibh	cha biodh sibh	cha veagh shiu	You would not (pl/frm)
ní bheidh siad	cha biodh iad	cha veagh ad	They would not
ní bheifí	cha bhite / bhithist(e)		Passive

Dependent form

Irish	Scottish Gaelic	Manx	English
mbiodh mé / an bhfuilim?	biodh mi?	beagn?	would I?
mbiodh tú?	biodh thu?	beagh oo?	would you?
mbiodh sé/sí?	biodh e/i?	beagh eh/ish?	would he/she/it?
mbiodh muid / an mbeimid?	biodh sinn?	beagh shin?	would we?
mbiodh sibh?	biodh sibh?	beagh shiu?	would you (pl/frm)?
mbiodh siad?	biodh iad?	beagh ad?	would they?
mbeifí	bite / bithist(e)		Passive

[ Contents ]