be
verb
1 verb stating status, position, appearance etc INTRANSITIVEbí verb is ► (followed by noun)
Paul is a musician is ceoltóir é Pól, ceoltóir is ea Pól, ceoltóir atá i bPól, tá Pól ina cheoltóirtheir son was the captain ba é a mac an captaen, a mac a bhí ina chaptaenthat was a mistake ba bhotún é sin, botún ba ea é sin, botún a bhí ann sinit's no joke ní magadh ar bith é, ní ábhar magaidh éare you the owner of the hotel? an tú úinéir an óstáin?was she the person in charge? arbh ise an duine a bhí i gceannas?a currach is a kind of boat is cineál báid í curachtoday is Friday inniu an Aoinemarking essays is a real pain is crá croí ceart é aistí a mharcáilwhat we did was to put the launch back a week is é a rinneamar ná an seoladh a chur siar ar feadh seachtainewhat annoyed her was that she wasn't consulted is é a chuir olc uirthi ná nach ndeachthas i gcomhairle léi► (followed by adjective)
he's injured tá sé gortaitheshe'd be too cold bheadh sí rófhuarare they all gone? an bhfuil siad go léir imithe?, an bhfuil siad uilig ar shiúl?the place wasn't full ní raibh an áit lánis the room free? an bhfuil an seomra ar fáil?that isn't right níl sé sin cearthe's well tá sé go maiththis one is better tá an ceann seo níos fearr, is fearr an ceann seo► (followed by adverb)
they're here tá siad anseothe match is over tá an cluiche thart► (followed by prepositional phrase)
the bag is under the table tá an mála faoin mbordSíle is from Carlow is as Ceatharlach do Shíle, is as Ceatharlach Síle► (followed by number phrase)
she's five now tá sí cúig bliana d'aois anoishe's 37 years old tá sé 37 bliain d'aoisit's ten o'clock tá sé a deich a chlogthe garage is twenty miles from here tá an garáiste fiche míle as seothe line is ten metres long tá an líne deich méadar ar fad► (with 'it' constructions)
it was no surprise níorbh aon ionadh é, níorbh iontas ar bith éit was a cold evening tráthnóna fuar a bhí ann, tráthnóna fuar ba ea é, ba thráthnóna fuar éit's hard to work at night is deacair a bheith ag obair san oíche, tá sé deacair a bheith ag obair san oícheit's Pól who did the cooking Pól a rinne an chócaireacht► (after question word)
who are they? cé hiad?, cé hiad féin?who is the woman on the right? cé hí an bhean ar dheis?what was in the bag? céard a bhí sa mhála?, cad a bhí sa mhála?where are you? cá bhfuil sibh?when is the wedding? cén uair a bheidh an bhainis ann?, cá huair a bheidh an bhainis ann?, cathain a bheidh an bhainis ann?how is your sister? cén chaoi a bhfuil do dheirfiúr?, conas atá do dheirfiúr?, cad é mar atá do dheirfiúr? 2 verb describing behaviour, temporary state INTRANSITIVEbí verb is we were worried bhí imní orainn, bhíomar imníochyou have to be quiet caithfidh sibh a bheith ciúindon't be silly! ná bí amaideach!he was being a bully ag maistíneacht a bhí séTaispeáin iontráil iomlán
3 verb equal to amount INTRANSITIVEbí verb is the prize is 1000 euro 1000 euro an duaisthree plus nine is twelve a trí móide a naoi sin a dó dhéag 4 verb cost amount INTRANSITIVEthe lessons are 200 euro 200 euro atá ar na ceachtanna, 200 euro a chosnaíonn na ceachtannathe dinner was an extra 50 euro bhí 50 euro breise ar an dinnéar, chosain an dinnéar 50 euro breisehow much is all that? cá mhéad é sin go léir?, cá mhéad atá air sin uilig?, cé mhéad a chosnaíonn sé sin ar fad?how much is a cup of coffee? cá mhéad atá ar chupán caife?how much is it to stay for a fortnight? cé mhéad a chosnaíonn sé fanacht ar feadh coicíse? 5 verb go somewhere INTRANSITIVEbí verb téigh verb I've been to the dentist again bhí mé ag an bhfiaclóir arís, chuaigh mé chuig an bhfiaclóir arísI haven't been to mass since ní raibh mé ar aifreann ó shin, ní dheachaigh mé ar aifreann ó shinshe's never been to a match ní raibh sí ag cluiche riamhhave you ever been to Leitrim? an raibh tú riamh i Liatroim?they've been here before bhí siad anseo cheanawhere have you been? cá raibh tú?, cá ndeachaigh tú? 6 verb exist INTRANSITIVEbí ann there once was a tailor bhí táilliúir ann tráth, bhí táilliúir ann fadóthey've ceased to be ní ann dóibh a thuilleadh, níl siad ann níos móthe best composer that ever was an cumadóir is fearr dá raibh riamh annleave it as it is fág é mar atá sé, ná bain dó, ná bac leis, éist leis
auxiliary verb
7 auxiliary verb with present participle, to form progressivebí verb who's calling? cé atá ag glaoch?what are you doing? cad atá á dhéanamh agat?, cad é atá tú a dhéanamh?what is he saying? céard atá á rá aige?, cad atá á rá aige?, cad é atá sé a rá?he was cutting the grass bhí sé ag gearradh an fhéirshe'll be signing copies of her book beidh sí ag síniú cóipeanna dá leabhar 8 auxiliary verb with past participle, to form passivethe posts will be advertised fógrófar na poistlittle was done about it is beag a rinneadh faoihe wasn't killed níor maraíodh éit was published last year foilsíodh anuraidh éit's published every month foilsítear gach mí éit was claimed that human error was to blame maíodh gurbh earráid dhaonna ba chúis leisit's said that power corrupts deirtear go dtagann an t-olc de dhroim na cumhachtait's thought that they're French ceaptar gur Francaigh iad, meastar gur Francaigh iadit'll be needed beidh gá leis, beidh sé ag teastáil, beidh sé de dhíth 9 auxiliary verb with infinitive, to say what is/was going to happenthis is to be discussed later tá sé seo le plé níos déanaí, pléifear é seo níos déanaíwe got a taste of what was to come fuaireamar blaiseadh den mhéid a bhí romhainnthe talks were to be followed by a general election bhí olltoghchán in ainm tarlú tar éis na gcainteannathat was a decision he was to regret sin cinneadh a mbeadh aithreachas air faoi ar ballshe was never to return home ní raibh sé i ndán di filleadh abhaile arís 10 auxiliary verb with infinitive, for saying what should happenthe teachers are to be praised for their work tá na múinteoirí le moladh as a gcuid oibrewhat else was I to do? cad eile a d'fhéadfainn a dhéanamh?, cad eile ba cheart dom a dhéanamh? 11 auxiliary verb literary with infinitive, to say what sb must doyou're to leave immediately caithfidh tú imeacht láithreach, ní mór duit imeacht láithreachI was to be at the gate bhí mé in ainm a bheith ag an ngeata, bhí mé le bheith ag an ngeata 12 auxiliary verb with infinitive in 'if' clausesif I'm to rewrite it, I'll need more time má táim chun é a athscríobh, beidh tuilleadh ama uaimshe needs to improve if she's to pass beidh uirthi feabhsú má tá sí le pas a fháil 13 auxiliary verb in question tagsbí verb there's something wrong, isn't there? tá rud éigin cearr, nach bhfuil?you're having a laugh, aren't you? tá tú ag magadh, nach bhfuil?; ag magadh atá tú, nach ea?it wasn't an accident, was it? níor thimpiste é, arbh ea?; ní timpiste a bhí ann, arbh ea?he was a priest, wasn't he? sagart ba ea é, nárbh ea?; ba shagart é, nárbh ea?; sagart a bhí ann, nárbh ea? 14 auxiliary verb in short answerbí verb 'Are you listening to me?' 'I am.' 'An bhfuil tú ag éisteacht liom?' 'Tá.''She won't be staying, will she?' 'She won't.' 'Ní bheidh sí ag fanacht, an mbeidh?' 'Ní bheidh.' 15 auxiliary verb avoiding repetitionbí verb I said it'd be working by Saturday and it was dúirt mé go mbeadh sé ag obair faoin Satharn agus bhí 16 auxiliary verb literary expressing probability or conditionsbe it wet or dry fliuch nó tirim é, bíodh sé fliuch nó tirim, pé fliuch tirim ébe it true or not cé acu atá sé fíor nó nach bhfuil, bíodh sé fíor nó ná bíodhshe'd eat any kind of food, whether it be pasta or rice d'íosfadh sí aon chineál bia, ba chuma cé acu pasta nó rís a bheadh annthey'll be there, whether it be Monday or Friday beidh siad ann, is cuma cé acu an Luan nó an Aoine a bheidh i gceistwere I in his place, I wouldn't ask her dá mbeinn ina áitsean, ní iarrfainn uirthi éwere you to fail dá mba rud é go dteipfeadh ort