Gaelic guide for learners

In the last three weeks we looked at the verb bi ‘to be’ in the present, future and past tenses, writes Janni Diez. Today we look at the habitual past: bhiodh, cha bhiodh, am biodh?, nach biodh. It is used to express a regular activity in the past.

Bhiodh mo sheanmhair a’ buain na mòna ‘my grandmother would (or used to) cut the peats’; cha bhiodh dealan aca ann an taigh mo sheanar ‘they didn’t have electricity in my grandfather’s house’; am biodh do shinnsirean a’ feamnadh na talmhainn? ‘would your ancestors fertilise the ground with seaweed?’; nach biodh na taighean-dubha fuar? ‘weren’t the black-houses cold?’ In the first person singular, the forms bhithinn, cha bhithinn, am bithinn and nach bithinn are used: bhithinn a’ coiseachd 5 mìle dhan sgoil ‘I used to walk 5 miles to school.’ In the first person plural, bhitheamaid etc. is used: cha bhitheamaid deiseil leis an obair ro chiaradh an fheasgair ‘we wouldn’t be finished with work till dusk.’

The answers to questions with am biodh or nach biodh are bhitheadh or cha bhitheadh, irrespective of the person: am biodh sibh a’ sealg? ‘did you use to hunt?’ - bhitheadh ‘yes’ or cha bhitheadh ‘no’. lsabhal Mòr Ostaig offers Gaelic learning opportunities on site and by distance learning www.smo.uhi.ac.uk