Verb lookup: everyday verbs, orders, and “I would like”

Open this when a verb blocks you. Everyday verbs in the bare form, which is also the form for an order, the four small words for to, from, in and on, and the polite “I would like”.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter

Open this when a verb blocks you; the two stories ahead do not need the tables.
Verbs are listed in the bare form — which is also the form for an order: Tar anseo!tar un-SHUH“Come here!”.
The ending -eann makes a statement about what generally happens: Itheann an luchIH-un un lukh.
ba mhaith liombuh wah lum is the polite “I would like” — and liomlum“with me” is another welded word, like orm.
The thing you would like to do trails at the end, carrying a little a that softens it.

You do not need this section to finish. Open it when a verb in a book stops you, or when you want to say what you would like rather than only read it. The verbs the two stories need were given in the sections before this one.

Everyday verbs, and verbs of moving

Each verb is given in its bare form, which is also the form for an order.

English	Irish	Said
eat	ith	ih
drink	ól	ohl
sleep	codail	KOD-il
find	faigh	fy
give	tabhair	TOW-ir
take	tóg	tohg
help	cabhraigh	KOW-ree
go	téigh	tchay
come	tar	tar
run	rith	rih
walk	siúil	SHOO-il
fly	eitil	ET-chil
fall	tit	tchitch
say	abair	AB-ir
ask	fiafraigh	FEE-uh-free
hear	clois	klish
think	ceap	kyap
know	tá a fhios agam	taw iss AH-gum
will (the future ending)	-faidh, -fidh	-hee

The future ending is only for recognising: Beidh mé anseo.beh may un-SHUH“I will be here.” and Rachaidh an madra go dtí an choill.RAKH-ee un MOD-ruh guh JEE un KHWIL“The dog will go to the wood.” The “know” line is not a verb at all. Irish says “the knowledge of it is at me” — agamAH-gum“at me” is a welded word like orm — so “I do not know” is Níl a fhios agam.neel iss AH-gum.

Four small words: to, from, in, on

These four sit in front of a noun. The note below says what i and sa do to the word after them.

English	Irish	Said
to	go dtí	guh JEE
from	ó	oh
in	i, sa	ih, suh
on	ar	err

i eclipses what follows it and sa, which is i and an welded together, softens it instead.

The mouse eats.

Itheann an luch.

IH-un un lukh.

Verb first: Itheann then an luch. The ending -eann is what makes it a statement about what generally happens.

I would like to drink water. — Give me the water, please.

Ba mhaith liom uisce a ól. Tabhair dom an t-uisce, le do thoil.

buh wah lum ISH-kuh uh OHL. TOW-ir dum un TISH-kuh, leh duh hil.

Word for word: would-be good with-me water to drink. The thing you want to do comes last, carrying its little a. The second sentence is an order, so the bare verb goes at the front.

Can you help me?

An féidir leat cabhrú liom?

un FAY-jur lat KOW-roo lum?

“Can” is built the same welded way: Is féidir liomiss FAY-jur lum“I can” is “it is possible with me”. Notice you are helped with rather than helped directly.

Come back to these chapters whenever you need them.All Irish chapters ↗