In A2, we looked at gnìomhairean riaghailteach (regular verbs) in an tràth chaithte (the past tense).
To make the past tense with regular verbs, we lenite the root form of the verb.
With a f + vowel we need to add dh’ to the beginning of the word, while also leniting the f.
With a vowel we need to add dh’ to the start of the word.
To make the negative statement, we put Cha do before the verb.
Root | Primary (Positive statement) | Secondary (negative statement) |
còrd (…ri)! | chòrd (…ri) | cha do chòrd (…ri) |
enjoy (give pleasure to)! | enjoyed (pleased) | didn’t enjoy … (didn’t please) |
sgrìobh! | sgrìobh | Cha do sgrìobh |
write | wrote | didn’t write … |
fàg! | dh’fhàg | cha do dh’fhàg … |
leave! | left | didn’t leave … |
ionnsaich! | dh’ionnsaich | cha do dh’ionnsaich … |
learn! | learnt/learned | didn’t learn … |
To make the question form we do the same but precede with An do, and to make the negative question we precede with Nach do?
Secondary (question) | Secondary (negative question) | Secondary |
An do chòrd …? | Nach do chòrd …? | … gun do chòrd … |
Did … enjoy? (Did … please) | Didn’t … enjoy …? Didn’t … please …? | … that … enjoyed / pleased… |
An do dh’fhàg …? | Nach do dh’fhàg …? | … gun do dh’fhàg … |
Did … leave …? | Didn’t … leave …? | … that … left … |
An do dh’ionnsaich …? | Nach do dh’ionnsaich …? | … gun do dh’ionnsaich … |
Did … learn …? | Didn’t … learn …? | … that … learned |
An do sgrìobh …? | Nach do sgrìobh …? | … gun do sgrìobh |
Did … write …? | Didn’t … write …? | … that … wrote … |
An do chòrd an cuspair riut? | Chòrd. | Cha do chòrd. |
Did the subject please you, did you enjoy the subject? | I did (enjoy). | I didn’t (enjoy). |
An do chuir an tidsear ceist ort? | Chuir. | Cha do chuir. |
Did the teacher ask you a question? | Yes (They did). | No (They didn’t). |
An do dh’ionnsaich thu cànan roimhe? | Dh’ionnsaich. | Cha do dh’ionnsaich. |
Have you learned a language before? | I have (learned). | I haven’t (learned). |
An do dh’innis thu an fhìrinn? | Dh’innis. | Cha do dh’innis. |
Did you tell the truth? | I did (tell). | I didn’t (tell). |
An do dh’fhàg thu an leabhar air an deasg? | Dh’fhàg. | Cha do dh’fhàg. |
Did you leave the book on the desk? | I did (leave). | I didn’t (leave). |
An do fhreagair thu a’ cheist mu dheireadh? | Fhreagair. | Cha do fhreagair. |
Did you answer the last question? | I did (answer). | I didn’t (answer). |
An do sgrìobh i litir? | Sgrìobh. | Cha do sgrìobh. |
Did she write a letter? | She did (write). | She didn’t (write). |
To make other types of questions, we can use the same form and combine it with the ceistean (questions) and naisgearan (conjunctions) we learnt in A2. The table below can be used for all regular verbs.
CHUIR | AN DO CHUIR |
Ciamar a chuir …? | Càit an do chuir …? |
How … | Where …? |
Cò chuir …? | |
Who … | |
Dè chuir …? | |
What …? | |
Cuin a chuir? | |
When …? | |
Cia mheud a chuir? | |
How many …? | |
Nuair a chuir … | … gun do chuir … |
When … | … that … |
Ma chuir … | Mur an do chuir … |
If … | If … not … |