Regular Verbs

There are two categories of verbs in Irish, and you need to know which category a verb belongs to before you can conjugate it. Fortunately, it is very easy to remember the categories.

• Type 1 verbs (usually) have one syllable.
• Type 2 verbs (usually) have two syllables.

You also need to be able to tell if the verb ends in a broad or slender consonant. This means that you need to know four sets of endings, one for each of the following cases:

• Type 1 verbs ending in a broad consonant
• Type 1 verbs ending in a slender consonant
• Type 2 verbs ending in a broad consonant
• Type 2 verbs ending in a slender consonant

Or does it? Some people memorise it that way. Others memorise only two sets of endings, one set forType 1 verbs, one for Type 2 verbs, and then apply the caol le caol agus leathan le leathan rule. I myself find it easiest to memorise one set of endings, plus a small set of "middles", and then apply the caol le caol agus leathan le leathan rule. Whichever way you do it, you will get the same result. If you find my system confusing, by all means ignore this and follow the method described by your book or teacher.

Here are the tables I used to learn how to conjugate verbs in Irish. The stem of a regular verb is the imperative singular, the form you use to give a command. The format used in these summary tables is shown below.

ending for 1st person singular		ending for 1st person plural
ending for 2nd person singular		ending for 2nd person plural
ending for 3rd person singular		ending for 3rd person plural
	ending for autonomous

Colour Key

	Indicates synthetic forms, which express action + person + number in one word; they are not followed by a personal pronoun.
	Indicates analytic forms, which must be followed by a personal pronoun.

Present (Habitual)

Type 1: stem + ... Type 2: stem + í + ...

im imid ann tar

Past

Lenite, add d' before vowel or f, except autonomous form. Type 1: stem + ... Type 2: stem + í + ...

amar adh

Future

Type 1: stem + f + ... Type 2: stem + {ó|eo} + ...

idh imid idh far

Imperfect (Past Habitual)

Lenite, add d' before vowel or f. Type 1: stem + ... Type 2: stem + í + ...

inn imis tá adh adh idís tí

Conditional

Lenite, add d' before vowel or f. Type 1: stem + f + ... Type 2: stem + {ó|eo} + ... HINT: Most of the endings are the same as in the Imperfect (Past Habitual).

inn imis fá adh adh idís fí

Imperative

Type 1: stem + ... Type 2: stem + í + ...

im imis igí adh idís tar

Present Subjunctive

Type 1: stem + ... Type 2: stem + í + ... HINT: Most of the endings are the same as in the Imperfect (Past Habitual).

a or e (Type 1 only) imid a or e (Type 1 only) tar

Past Subjunctive

Same endings as past habitual, but don't lenite.

Direct relative

Except for combined forms:
Add broad s to present habitual and future
idh -> (e)as

Verbal noun (general guidelines)

Type 1: stem + adh
Type 2: stem + ú
Verbs ending in -(e)áil: stem (no ending)
Verbs ending in slender l, n, r: stem + t

Verbal adjective

Type 1: stem + ta or te
Except: tha or the after b, c, f, g, m, p, r
Except: Drop bh or mh and add fa

Type 2: stem + ithe
Except: te after l, n, r (don't syncopate)

General Rules (for all tenses)

• ía -> ío
• Drop a after á,ó,ú
• after slender consonant, ó -> eo
• t(h) + t -> t
• When an ending begins with a consonant, pad it with a vowel after the consonant, if needed to satisfy the caol le caol agus leathan le leathan rule.

Rules For Type I Verbs

• -áigh, -óigh, -úigh, -eoigh, -uaigh, drop (i)gh and use broad f and slender t in verb endings.
• -éigh, drop (i)gh and use slender f and slender t in verb endings.
• -igh alone or after short vowel, drop gh, i -> í (except before t), and use slender f and slender t in verb endings... except for the verb "faigh".
• áil -> ál unless ending begins with t

Rules For Type II Verbs

• If ending has an initial vowel, drop last syllable:
• drop (a)igh
• drop (a)i before final l, n, r, s

Note: I originally published this article on E2.