Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
-
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:42 pm
- Language Level: Learning
- Corrections: Please correct my grammar
- Location: Inbhir Nis, Alba
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
I've been going through Series 4 of 'Speaking Our Language' and the conditional tense is taught in some of the episodes. I noticed that they teach the question form, 'would be?' as 'am bitheadh?', whereas on the Taic website it's taught as 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?'. So what's the difference, and is there any difference in meaning between the different forms? Thanks.
-
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:42 pm
- Language Level: Math gu leòr
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Alba
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
Bhitheadh / Am bitheadh? are considered emphatic forms of the more commonly used Bhiodh/Am biodh?
Whichever you choose to use, these are used by second and third persons singular and plural: Bhiodh tu, Bhiodh e/i, Bhiodh sibh, Bhiodh iad.
Unlike other tenses, we still have synthetic forms for the first persons singular and plural:
Bhiodh + mi > Bhithinn.
and
Bhiodh + sinn > Bhiomaid (emphatic Bhitheamaid). Derived from older pronoun muid=sinn. This one is now mostly considered optional.
An dòchas gu bheil am mìneachadh seo gu feum dhuibh.
Whichever you choose to use, these are used by second and third persons singular and plural: Bhiodh tu, Bhiodh e/i, Bhiodh sibh, Bhiodh iad.
Unlike other tenses, we still have synthetic forms for the first persons singular and plural:
Bhiodh + mi > Bhithinn.
and
Bhiodh + sinn > Bhiomaid (emphatic Bhitheamaid). Derived from older pronoun muid=sinn. This one is now mostly considered optional.
An dòchas gu bheil am mìneachadh seo gu feum dhuibh.
Nach iongantach an rud a th' ann ann
-
- Rianaire
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:26 am
- Language Level: Barail am broinn baraille
- Corrections: Please don't analyse my Gaelic
- Location: Glaschu
- Contact:
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
You might want to check out this page.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
-
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:42 pm
- Language Level: Learning
- Corrections: Please correct my grammar
- Location: Inbhir Nis, Alba
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
Ok thanks for the replies. I think I get the idea. So is this 'neutral' vs 'emphatic' concept only for the conditional tense, or can it apply to other tenses too?
Also, from reading that link, are you saying that in Gaelic any verb can have both a 'neutral' and 'stressed/emphathic' form, and if so is there a pattern for how I change a 'neutral' verb to make it 'emphatic'? (Ie what letters I add etc - I noticed you used the example of 'thuirt' vs 'thubhairt', but not sure for other verbs?).
Also, from reading that link, are you saying that in Gaelic any verb can have both a 'neutral' and 'stressed/emphathic' form, and if so is there a pattern for how I change a 'neutral' verb to make it 'emphatic'? (Ie what letters I add etc - I noticed you used the example of 'thuirt' vs 'thubhairt', but not sure for other verbs?).
-
- Rianaire
- Posts: 4607
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:26 am
- Language Level: Mion-chùiseach
- Corrections: Please correct my grammar
- Location: Dùthaich mo chridhe
- Contact:
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
The pattern is to insert consonant + h + another vowel. Which consonsnt to use is historical. It's only used for a restricted set of forms though, so you'll have to learn that bit just like irregular verbs. For now, I'd say just keep in the back of your head that it exists and notice it when you come across it - once you've seen enough of it, it will come to you naturally.
Oileanach chànan chuthachail
Na dealbhan agam
Na dealbhan agam
-
- Rianaire
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:26 am
- Language Level: Barail am broinn baraille
- Corrections: Please don't analyse my Gaelic
- Location: Glaschu
- Contact:
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
Mostly it applies to the irregular verbs. Not all have separate written forms, for instance tha varies between [haː] ~ [ha] ~ [hə], chaidh can be [xaːj] ~ [xaj] but there's no *thà or *chathaidh spelling.
As in any language, there's a little bit of leeway with all verbs - but not much because if you make it too long, it becomes a long vowel and you can't do that in Gaelic i.e. if you go overboard and turn seas into *[ʃeːs] you'll get funny looks. At your stage, I'd restrict doing this actively to the irregular verbs only to be on the safe side.
As in any language, there's a little bit of leeway with all verbs - but not much because if you make it too long, it becomes a long vowel and you can't do that in Gaelic i.e. if you go overboard and turn seas into *[ʃeːs] you'll get funny looks. At your stage, I'd restrict doing this actively to the irregular verbs only to be on the safe side.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
-
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:42 pm
- Language Level: Learning
- Corrections: Please correct my grammar
- Location: Inbhir Nis, Alba
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
Thanks, I think I get the idea, and no doubt I'll get used to this in time.
-
- Rianaire
- Posts: 1432
- Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:58 pm
- Language Level: Fluent (non-native)
- Corrections: I'm fine either way
- Location: Sruighlea, Alba
- Contact:
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
There is thatha occasionally, though, isn't there? Or did the exam board kill that with GOC?akerbeltz wrote:Mostly it applies to the irregular verbs. Not all have separate written forms, for instance tha varies between [haː] ~ [ha] ~ [hə], chaidh can be [xaːj] ~ [xaj] but there's no *thà or *chathaidh spelling.
-
- Rianaire
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:26 am
- Language Level: Barail am broinn baraille
- Corrections: Please don't analyse my Gaelic
- Location: Glaschu
- Contact:
Conditional tense - 'am bitheadh?' vs 'am bithinn'/'am biodh?'/'am biomaid?', what's the difference?
I've only seen thatha rarely, in fairly old texts usually, but yes, that would be one
Do, or do not. There is no try.
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★
★ Am Faclair Beag ★ iGàidhlig, do charaid airson bathar-bog na Gàidhlig: Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, Skype is mòran a bharrachd ★