Gaelic guide for learners

Bhiodh, cha bhiodh, am biodh?, nach biodh? (2)

As part of a series about the verb bi ‘to be’, last week we looked at the habitual past. Today we look at the conditional, which has the same forms as the habitual past: bhiodh, cha bhiodh, am biodh?, nach biodh.

Nam biodh Làra a’ dol air saor-làithean dhan Spàinn an ath-sheachdain, … ‘If Lara went on holiday to Spain next week, …’ bhiodh i a’ fuireach ann an taigh-òsta spaideil ‘she would be staying in a posh hotel’; cha bhiodh i ag èirigh ro 10 uairean ‘she would not be getting up before 10’; am biodh i a’ dol a-mach gach oidhche? ‘would she be going out every night?’

In the first person singular, the forms bhithinn, cha bhithinn, am bithinn and nach bithinn are used: bhithinn ag ithe paella gach latha ‘I would eat paella every day’. In the first person plural, bhitheamaid etc. is used: cha bhitheamaid ag òl cus, ge-tà ‘we would not be drinking too much, though.’

The answers to questions with am biodh or nach biodh are bhitheadh or cha bhitheadh, irrespective of the person: am biodh sibh a’ snàmh sa mhuir? ‘would you be swimming in the sea?’ - bhitheadh ‘yes’ or cha bhitheadh ‘no.’ lsabhal Mòr Ostaig offers Gaelic learning opportunities on site and by distance learning www.smo.uhi.ac.uk