In the conditional tense mi (I)and sinn (we) combine with the verb to form new words. We’ll learn these as we go, but in the case of bi (be) we have:
bhithinn
I would be
cha bhithinn
I wouldn’t be
bhiomaid
we would be
cha bhiomaid
we wouldn’t be
However, we cannot use these forms to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a direct question – we use the simple bhiodh or cha bhiodh.
Am biodh tu saor Dihaoine? Would you be free on Friday | Cha bhiodh. Bhithinn saor Disathairne ge-tà. I would not. I would be free on Saturday though. |
Am biodh tu saor Disathairne? Would you be free on Saturday? | Bhiodh. Bhithinn saor Disathairne I would. I would be free on Saturday. |
Am biomaid a’ dol ann Diluain? Would we be going there on Monday? | Cha bhiodh. Cha bhiomaid saor Diluain. We wouldn’t. We wouldn’t be free on Monday. |
We can use am biodh … with the different pronouns to give positive or negative answer.
Am bithinn | saor Oidhche Luain? free on Monday night | |
Would I be | ||
Am biodh | tu | |
Would you be | ||
Am biodh | e | |
Would he be | ||
Am biodh | i | |
Would she be | ||
Am biomaid | ||
Would we be | ||
Am biodh | sibh | |
Would you (pl) be | ||
Am biodh | iad | |
Would they be |
Bhithinn | Cha bhithinn | saor free | |
I would be | I would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | tu | |
You would be | You would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | e | |
He would be | He would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | i | |
She would be | She would not be | ||
Bhiomaid | Cha bhiomaid | ||
We would be | We would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | sibh | |
You (pl)I would be | You (pl) would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | iad | |
They would be | They would not be |
Wouldn’t … be?
Nach bithinn | saor Oidhche Luain? free on Monday night | |
Wouldn’t I be | ||
Nach biodh | tu | |
Wouldn’t you be | ||
Nach biodh | e | |
Wouldn’t he be | ||
Nach biodh | i | |
Wouldn’t she be | ||
Nach biomaid | ||
Wouldn’t we be | ||
Nach biodh | sibh | |
Wouldn’t you (pl) be | ||
Nach biodh | iad | |
Wouldn’t they be |
Bhithinn | Cha bhithinn | saor free | |
I would be | I would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | tu | |
You would be | You would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | e | |
He would be | He would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | i | |
She would be | She would not be | ||
Bhiomaid | Cha bhiomaid | ||
We would be | We would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | sibh | |
You (pl)I would be | You (pl) would not be | ||
Bhiodh | Cha bhiodh | iad | |
They would be | They would not be |