Present Tense TO BE

Like all verbs in Gàidhlig there is only one form for all persons. For a positive statement in the present tense this is Tha. Just add the subject to it, either a pronoun or a noun.

The pronouns combine with the verb **Tha** as follows :
Tha mi - I am	Tha sinn - we are
Tha thu - you are	Tha sibh - you are
Tha e - he is	Tha iad - they are
Tha i - she is	Tha iad - they are

Sibh - You, plural. Also singular for formal situations as a mark of respect
Thu - You, singular only. Informal form.

Similarly with nouns :
Tha am fear .. - The man is ..
Tha an là .. - The day is ..

**Adjectives**
Adjectives can be used following the verb **To Be**. The adjective is the same for all subjects :
Feminine subject	Tha i fuar - She is cold
Plural subject	Tha iad fuar - They are cold
Masculine subject	Tha Calum fuar - Calum is cold

**Adjectives**
beag - small	blàth - warm
fliuch - wet	fuar - cold
leisg - lazy, reluctant, loath	mòr - big, large
sgìth - tired	tioram - dry
trang - busy	snog - nice
toilichte - pleased, happy

**Nouns**
là - day	fear - male, man

**Pronouns**
mi - I, me	sinn - we, us
thu - you (singular, familiar)	sibh - you (plural, formal)
e - he, him, it
i - she, her, it	iad - they, them

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English**
1.Tha mi sgìth	2.Tha iad trang
3.Tha i fuar	4.Tha iad blàth
5.Tha sinn leisg	6.Tha sibh tioram

When you select the

icon after an exercise you will be taken to the corresponding answers on this page

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.We are cold	2.You are small
3.They are big	4.I am lazy
5.He is busy	6.She is tired

All verbs have what is known as an independent form; for the verb To Be this is Tha, which as you saw above is used to form positive statements. All verbs have another form, the dependent; this is used to form the negative statement and interrogatives (question forms).

For the present tense of the verb **To Be** :
independent - tha	dependent - bheil

Tha for positive statements:
Tha e fuar - It is cold

Chan eil for negative statements:
Chan eil e fuar - It is not cold

A bheil? for asking a question (interrogative)*:
A bheil e fuar? - Is it cold?

Nach eil? for a negative question (negative interrogative):
Nach eil e fuar? - Is it not cold?

* In addition you will also find the form Am bheil? and in spoken Gàidhlig both are frequently contracted to Eil? This is the form always used for a negative statement and question.

**EXERCISE 3 Translate into English**
1.A bheil thu sgìth?	2.Nach eil i fliuch?
3.Chan eil iad trang	4.Chan eil sinn fuar
5.Nach eil iad leisg?	6.A bheil sibh fuar?

**EXERCISE 4 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.I am not cold	2.Are you warm?
3.Are you not warm?	4.Is she tired?
5.Are they pleased?	6.Isn't she nice?
7.He isn't dry	8.We aren't lazy

**ANSWERS EXERCISE 1**
1.I am tired	2.They are busy
3.She/it is cold	4.They are warm
5.We are lazy	6.You are dry

When you select the

icon after looking at the answers you will be taken back to the corresponding exercise on this page

**ANSWERS EXERCISE 2**
1.Tha sinn fuar	2.Tha thu/sibh beag
3.Tha iad mòr	4.Tha mi leisg
5.Tha e trang	6.Tha i sgìth

**ANSWERS EXERCISE 3**
1.Are you tired?	2.Isn't she wet?
3.They aren't busy	4.We aren't cold
5.Aren't they lazy?	6.Are you cold?

**ANSWERS EXERCISE 4**
1.Chan eil mi fuar	2.A bheil thu/sibh blàth?
3.Nach eil thu/sibh blàth?	4.A bheil i sgìth?
5.A bheil iad toilichte?	6.Nach eil i snog?
7.Chan eil e tioram	8.Chan eil sinn leisg

dm©lelland - Faodar na leasanan seo ath-riochdachadh le aithneachadh dhan ùghdar
dm©lelland - These lessons may be reproduced with credit to the author