In Irish there are virtually no real modal verbs.
One exception is féad = can
Instead of them, one expresses these through certain idiomatic expressions.
They mostly contain the "auxilliary verb" bí
(present tense: tá) or die copula
(present tense: is).
The related conditional form (must, could, should...) comes from the
use of the conditional form of the auxilliary verb (bheadh instead
of tá , ba instead of is etc.)
Many of these expressions are formed with prepositions. The preposition
introduces the actual (logical) subject, although in copular clauses,
it is grammatically part of the predicate or in sentences with bí,
an indirect object.
The copula with the preposition do + log.
subject gives the objective portrayal: e.g.: B'éigean dom =
I would have to
The copula with the preposition le + log.
subject gives the subjective assessment: ní foláir liom
= I think it is necessary
This is especially necessary in modal expressions of wants, likes
: Is maith liom = I like, ba mhaith liom = I would like
By omitting the preposition + subject, it takes on a passive meaning:
e.g.: B'éigean = man müßte, ní foláir
= it is necessary, is féidir = it is possible, b'fheidir = it would
be possible = maybe.
Some other verbs have modal submeanings if they appear in certain tenses
(e.g.: caithfidh = must, glacadh = should)
Mostly, "modal verbs" of musts, shoulds and cans are supplemented by infinitive
constructions (like in German: Ich muß das Haus streichen=I
must paint the house). With objects, the preposition to appears (as
opposed to the German): Caithfidh mé an teach a phéinteáil
= lit.: "use-will I (= I must), the house to paint"
Just like in German/English, go/nach-clauses that supplemented modal constructions
of musts, shoulds and coulds have the meaning "it must/must be so, that",
"it could be so, that", "it should be so, that..." ("epistemic modal verbs"),
whereby certainly also here infinitive constructions are possible.
an auxilliary verb have also doesn't exist,
As a substitute of the verb have one uses the
verb bí and the preposition ag
or sometimes ar
In Irish one "has" nothing, but it "is by or on one"
Ownership is expressed via the copula with
the preposition le , "one owns" nothing, it "is
with one"
*With "subject"/"object"
, we are speaking here of the word, which in German would have the subject- or
object function. In Irish,in constructions with bí it is mostly the other
way around, ... in copular constructions, that which is termed here as the "subject"
is actually part of the predicate and the following subordinating clause or infinitive
construction is actually the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The word called "subject" is also in Irish understood as the logical subject
of the statement. "subject" is therefore the one who "must", "can",
"should", "may" etc.
Abbreviations: VN for verbal noun or infinitive
construction ("infinitive with to": object + verbal noun), go
for a go/nach-clause ("that").
I must.../would have to
form of bí
+ ar
+ subject
+ VN* Tá orm imeacht = I must go (lit. "is on me to go") Bhéadh ar Sheán a theacht = Séan would have to come(lit.:
"would be on Seán to come")
form of bí
+ ag
+ subject
+ le
+ VN*
This is an obvious borrowing from the English (comp. "to have to": bí
ag = have, le = (in order) to). Tá agam le dul = I must go ("I have to go")
caithfidh (= future tense of caith [use,
throw etc].) + subject + VN/go Caithfidh mé imeacht = I must go (lit.: "use will I to go")
After má (if), a habit. present tense form of caith in the meaning
"must" is allowed and necessary (because the future after má is always
prohibited): Má chaitheann sé imeacht = if he must go
Otherwise (except in Munster) besides the future- only conditional forms of
caith are common. Chaithfinn imeacht = I would have to go
form of is + éigean
+ do + subject*
+ VN/go (especially in the preterite b'éigean
do, is also common as a substitute for earlier in the present tense
sense caithfidh ) B'éigean dom é a dheanamh = I had to do it (lit. "was
a force to me, it to do")
negative form of the copula ní
+ mór
+ do
+ subject*
+ VN/go Ní mór duit bheith anseo = You must be here (lit.: "is
not big to you, to be here")
negative form of the copula ní
+ foláir
+ do
+ subject*
+ VN/go Ní foláir dom é a rá = I must say it (lit.:
" is not too-much to me, to to say")
An impersonal "must" in the sense of conditions and obvious necessities,
the following expressions are used:
in the preterite: b'éigean dó
go lit.: "was force to that, that" B'éigean dó gur thit a gcodladh orthu = She must have
fallen asleep
in the present tense: ní folair nó
lit.: "not-is too much or" (or ní folair at the end of the
sentence.) Ní folair nó tá sí tinn = Tá sí
tinn, ní folair = She must be sick
in the present tense/future tense: caithfidh
(sé) go lit.: "will-use, that" Caithfidh go bhfuil sí ann = She must be there then
I should .../should have
imperative: Tagadh Seán = Seán should come! (lit.: "Seán,
come / it should come Seán! ")
form of is
+ ceart
+ do
+ subject*
+ VN/go Is ceart do Shéan a theacht = Seán should come (lit.:
"is right to Seán to come") Ba ceart do Sheán a theacht = Seán should have come
form of is
+ cóir
+ do
+ subject*
+ VN/go Ba chóir duit é a dheanamh = You should do it (lit.:
"would be right to you it to do")
ghlacfadh + subject
+ VN (only in Ulster, only conditional of
the verb glac = accept) Ghlacfainn imeacht = I should better go (lit.: "I-would-accept to go")
form of is
+ beite
+ do
+ subject*
+ VN beite is the"participle of necessity" of bí Is beite do dhuine Dia a ghuí = One should pray to God (lit.:
"is necessary-to-be to person God to pray")
Instead of beite, it is theoretically possible to form a participle
of necessity with any verb (form = verbal adjective) and then to make
a statement closer to the "should, must" construct. But this participle
is hardly useful if then in the negated form: "it is not necessary to ...":
e.g.: Ní gearánta ar an aimsir duit = There is no reason
for you to be complaining about the weather
I can..../could
form of is + féidir
+ le + subject*
+ VN/go Is féidir liom Gaeilge a scríobh = I can write Irish
(lit. "is possible with me Irish to write") Ach ní féidir liom Rúisis a scríobh = But I
can not write Russian B'fhéidir go bhfuil sé ann = It could be (= maybe) it's here
form of bí + subject
+ in ann / in acmhainn / in inmhe / abalta
+ VN (this is limited to "to have the
ability to do something") Tá mé in ann Gaeilge a scríobh = I can write Irish
(in Connacht) Tá mé abalta Gaeilge a scríobh = I can write Irish
(in Ulster and Munster)
(after ann, aicmhe, inmhe the genitive may follow, because these are
nouns: in aicmhe a dhéanta = able to do it
form of tig + le
+ subject* + VN
(tig is actually the Ulster variant of tagann, the present tense of tar
= to come.) Besides in the present tense (tig in Connacht, thig in Ulster)
it is only common in the conditional (tiocfadh). Tig le Pól é a dhéanamh = Paul can do it (lit.:
"coming with Pól it to do") Thiocfadh le Pól é a dhéanamh = Paul could do it
(lit.: "would be-coming with Pól it to do")
the "real" modal verb féad =
can (all tenses possible) is rather rare: Nach bhféadfá fanacht? = Couldn't you stay?
form of bí + sé
+ ar cumas + subject*
+ VN ("subject" in the genitive or instead
of it a possessive pronoun) Tá sé ar mo chumas é a dheanamh = I can do it (lit.:
"is it on my ability it to do"
form of bí + subject*
+ i gcumas + VN Tá mé i gcumas é a dheanamh = I can do it (lit.:
"am I in ability it to do")
Certain abilities are not a matter of can, but of having (see below:
have): form of bí
+ object + ag +
subject* Tá Gaeilge agam = I can speak Irish (lit.: "is Irish by me /
I have Irish") Tá léamh / snámh agam = I can read / swim
form of faigh + VN
The verb faigh means actually to receive. Here
is in the sense of "to get the hang of something" Fuair sé an obair a dhéanamh = He could do the work (lit.:
"he got (the hang of) the work to do")
I could..../may
form of bí
+ cead
+ ag
+ subject
+ VN* Tá cead ag an bhfear fuisce a ól = the man may drink whiskey
(lit.: "is allowance by the man whiskey to drink")
féadfaidh (form of féad in the future tense)
+ subject
+ VN* Féadfaidh tú imeacht anois = you can/may go now. (lit.:
"can-will you go now")
A form of is + miste
+ le (+ recipient), actually.: "to bother
someone " is often used in requests for permission (and the answers to that):
Ar mhiste leat mé a dhul ansin? = May I go there? (= would it
you bother, if I went there?)
I like..../would like
form of is + maith
+ le + subject*
+ object/VN/go Ba mhaith liom fuisce a ól = I would like to drink whiskey
(lit.: "would be good with-me whiskey to drink")
To emphasise, one can use is + breá
+ le instead of that. Ba bhreá liom fuisce a ól = I would like a lot to drink whiskey
(lit.: "would be nice with-me whiskey to drink")
Form des verbs taitin + object
+ le + subject*
Taitníonn iasc liom = I like fish (lit.: "pleases fish with-me")
Thaitin an capall leis = He liked the horse
I would rather ...
form of is
+ fearr
+ le
+ subject*
+ object/VN/go Is fearr liom tae ná caife = I like/would rather tea than coffee
(lit.: "is better with me tea than coffee")
I want ...
form of bí
+ object
+ ó
+ subject* Tá braon fuisce uaim = I want some whiskey (lit.: "is a drop
of whiskey from me")
form of bí
+ ó
+ subject*
+ VN/go Tá uaim fuisce a ól = I want to drink whiskey (lit.:
"is from me, whiskey to drink")
Teastaíonn
+ object
+ ó
+ subject* Teastaíonn arán uaidh = He wants/needs bread (lit.: "is
need of bread from him")
Teastaíonn
+ ó
+ subject*
+ VN/go Teastaíonn uaim fuisce a ól = I want to drink whiskey
(lit.: "need from me, whiskey to drink")
copula is
+ mian / áil
+ le
+ subject*
+ object/VN/go Is mian liom é a dhéanamh = I want/wish, to do it (lit.:
"is desire with-me, it to do" "mian" can as the desired object also be carried as the genitive attribute
: mian a dhéanta = desire, to do it (lit.: "desire of its doing")
I need ...
form of bí
+ gá
+ ag
+ subject*
+ le
+ object Tá gá aige leis an bpeann = He needs the pen (lit.: "is
necessity by-him with the pen")
Teastaíonn
+ object
+ ó
+ subject*
This can both be a "want" or "need" depending on the context (where one only
should want what man really needs :-)) Teastaíonn arán uaidh = He wants/needs bread(lit.: "is
need of bread from him")
form of bí
+ object
+ de dhíth ar
+ subject* Tá braon fuisce de dhíth orm = I want/need some whiskey
(lit.: "is a drop of whiskey of loss on me")
copula is
+ gá
+ do
+ subject*
+ VN/go
Something that is necessary to be done, must be dome, what isn't necessary,
needs not to be done. Is gá dom é a dhéanamh = I must do it (lit.: "is
necessity to-me, it to do") Ní gá duit é a dhéanamh = You must/need not
do it (lit.: "not-is necessity to-you, it to do")
I have ....
form of bí
+ object
+ ag
+ subject* Tá teach agam = I have a house (lit.: "is house by-me") Níl carr againn = We have no car (lit.: "not-is car by-us")
Bhí cúpla leabhar ag Síle = Síle had a couple
of books (lit.: "was couple of book by Síle")
I have... (phys./psych. conditions,
sicknesses, parts, names)
form of bí
+ object
+ ar
+ subject* Níl ocras orm = I have no hunger (lit.: "not-is hunger on-me")
Beidh tart uirthi = She will have thirst (lit.: "will-be thirst on-her")
Bhí áthas ar an bhfear = The man was happy (lit.: "was
happiness on the man") Tá slaghdán ar an gcailín = The girl has a cold Tá féasóg ar an seanfhear = The old man has a beard Tá doirse móra ar an teach = The house has big doors (lit.:
"are doors big on the house") Cén t-ainm atá ort? = What is your name? (lit.:"which
name, that-is on-you?") Seán an t-ainm atá orm. = I'm Seán (lit.: Seán
the name, that-is on-me)
I have .... (own)
form of is
+ le
+ subject
+ object* Is liom an carr seo = This car is mine (lit.: "is with me the car this")
Is le Pól an teach = The house belongs to Paul (lit.: "is with
Paul the house")