Defective Verbs

Incomplete Verbs

Many idiomatic verbal expressions are constructed from the association of prepositional pronouns with the Assertive Verb. These are classed as incomplete or auxiliary verbs as not all tenses are found.

**Group 1: Verbs based on the Assertive Verb**

a. Assertive form of the verb + preposition le. With the prepositional pronouns these are :
Present Tense	Past Tense	Conditional Tense
Is toil leam / leat / &c - I / you / &c like	Bu toil leam / leat / &c - I / you / &c liked	Bu toil leam / leat / &c - I / you / &c would like
'S fheàrr leam / leat / &c ‡ - I / you / &c prefer	B' fheàrr leam / leat / &c - I / you / &c preferred	B' fheàrr leam / leat / &c - I / you / &c would prefer
Is leamsa / leatsa / &c - I / you / &c own	Bu leamsa / leatsa / &c - I / you / &c owned	Bu leamsa / leatsa / &c - I / you / &c would own

‡ Words beginning with f are lenited after Is

b. Assertive form of verb + preposition do. With the prepositional pronouns these are :
Present Tense	Past Tense	Conditional Tense
Is còir dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c are right to	Bu chòir dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c was / were right to	Bu chòir dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c would be right to / ought to
'S urrainn dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c are able to	B' urrainn dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you was / were able to	B' urrainn dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you would be able to
'S aithne dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c know (sense: acquainted)	B' aithne dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c knew	B' aithne dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c would know
'S àbhaist dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c usually	B' àbhaist dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c was / were usually	B' àbhaist dhomh / dhut / &c - I / you / &c would usually

c. Assertive form of verb + preposition **air**. With the prepositional pronouns these are :
Present Tense	Past Tense	Conditional Tense
Is beag orm / ort / &c - I / you / &c dislike	Bu bheag orm / ort / &c - I / you / &c disliked	Bu bheag orm / ort / &c - I / you / &c would dislike
Is lugha orm / ort / &c - I / you / &c loathe	Bu lugha orm / ort / &c - I / you / &c loathed	Bu lugha orm / ort / &c - I / you / &c would loathe

The Other Forms of the Verb

For the present tense drop the Is and add:
Cha for negative statements	Chan aithne dhomh e - I don't know him Chan urrainn dhaibh innse dhut - They are unable to tell you
An for interrogative	An toil leat tì? - Do you like tea? 'S toil - Yes, Cha toil - No An urrainn dhut innse? - Are you able to tell? 'S urrainn - Yes, Chan urrainn - No
Nach for negative interrogative	Nach toil leat tì? - Don't you like tea? 'S toil - Yes, Cha toil - No Nach beag ort sin? - Don't you dislike that? Is beag - Yes, Cha bheag - No

For the past and conditional tenses add:
Cha for negative statements	Cha b' urrainn dhomh faicinn - I wasn't able to see? Cha bu chòir dhut innse - You weren't right to say / You ought not to have said
Am for interrogative	Am bu toil leò tì? - Would they like tea? Bu toil - Yes, Cha bu toil - No Am b' aithne dhuibh e? - Did you know him? B' aithne - Yes, Cha b'aithne - No
Nach for negative interrogative	Nach bu lugha orra sin? - Didn't they loathe that? Bu lugha - Yes, Cha bu lugha - No Nach b' àbhaist dhaibh innse? - Wouldn't they usually say? B' àbhaist - Yes, Cha b' àbhaist - No

**Examples of Use**

When the incomplete verbs are followed directly by a verb, the verbal noun is used. Exceptions in both literature and the spoken language are the verbs To Be (a bhith), **To Go** (a dhol) and **To Come** (a thighinn) :
An toil leat lagair? - Do you like lager?	Bu toil leam drama - I would like a dram
'S fheàrr leis tì - He prefers tea	B' fheàrr leam cofaidh - I would prefer coffee
An aithne dhut am fear sin? - Do you know that man?	B' aithne dhomh an guth - I recognised the voice
Nach beag oirbh e? - Don't you dislike him?	Cha bu bheag orm i - I didn't dislike her
An toil leat seinn? - Do you like singing?	'S urrainn dhaibh leughadh - They are able to read
B' fheàrr leam cluiche - I would prefer to play	Is lugha air ball-coise - He detests football
'S àbhaist dhaibh a thighinn tràth - They usually come early
B' àbhaist dha na samhraidhean a bhith blàth - The summers used to be warm
Is còir dhaibh a bhith cùramach - They are right to be careful
'S urrainn dhaibh a bhith ann - They are able to be there
Cha b' urrainn dha a dhol dhan chèilidh - He wasn't able to go to the ceilidh

When incomplete verbs are followed by a verbal noun taking a direct object word order reversal takes place. Here the object comes first followed by **a + lenited verbal noun**. The a is dropped before verbal nouns beginning with vowel or beginning with f + vowel :
Am bu toil leat ceòl a chluinntinn? - Would you like to hear some music?
'S fheàrr leam cofaidh òl - I prefer to drink coffee
Cha bu chòir dhut sin a dhèanamh - You ought not to have done that
'S urrainn dhomh Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn - I am able to speak Gàidhlig
Am b' urrainn do Mhàiri an dealbh fhaicinn? - Was Màiri able to see the film?
Am bu toil leat an litir sin a fhreagairt? - Would you like to answer that letter?

When the object of the sentence is a pronoun then the pronoun is replaced by its possessive adjective placed before the verbal noun. The possessive adjectives mo, do and a (his/its) lenite the following word whenever possible :
Cha bu toil leis m' fhaicinn? - He would not like to see me?
B' fheàrr leis d' fhaicinn? - He would prefer to see you?
An urrainn dhì a thogail? - Can she lift him?
Bu chòir dhaibh a dèanamh - They ought to do it (work = feminine)

As mentioned in the practise is to contract Is to 'S in both literature and the spoken language, particularly before words beginning with a vowel or fh. Bu is always contracted to B' before words beginning with a vowel or fh.

NEW WORDS

**Adjectives**
cùramach - careful	eile - other
fadalach - late (in arriving)	sam bith - any

**Adverbs**
air neo - (or) else	roimhe seo - by now

**Nouns**
càl (m) - cabbage	duine (m) - person (any sex), man, husband
guth (m) - voice	làn-spàin (m) - spoonful
maighistir-sgoile (m) - schoolmaster	pàrant (m) - parent
taigh-dhealbh (m) - cinema	samhradh (m) - summer
siùcar (m) - sugar	tì (m) - tea
cabhag (f) - haste	coinneamh (f) - meeting
dùthaich (f) - country, countryside	spàin (f) - spoon
tè (f) - one, female	tèile (f) - other female

**Verbal phrases**
Tha cabhag orm - I am in a hurry	Tha cabhag oirnn - We are in a hurry
Tha cabhag ort - You are in a hurry	Tha cabhag oirbh - You are in a hurry
Tha cabhag air - He is in a hurry	Tha cabhag orra - They are in a hurry
Tha cabhag oirre - She is in a hurry	Tha cabhag orra - They are in a hurry

**EXERCISE 1 Translate into English**
1.Tha i ag ràdh gu bheil pathadh oirre	2.Am bu toil leò a dhol dhan taigh-dhealbh?
3.Chan àbhaist dhaibh a dhol dhan taigh-sheinnse	4.An aithne dhuibh an duine sin? Chan aithne ach 's aithne dhomh an duine eile
5.Cha robh fios agam gum b' aithne dhì iad	6.'S àbhaist dhì a bhith a' coiseachd tràth anns a' mhadainn
7.Nach bu chòir dha a bhith a' dol dhan dotair? Bu chòir	8.Is toil leam an nighean seo ach is beag orm an tèile
9.An urrainn dhut Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn? 'S urrainn	10.Am b' fheàrr leis a' bhalach a bhith a-muigh? Cha b' fheàrr
11.Tha mi a' smaointinn gur beag air snàmh	12.Tha i ag ràdh gur lugha oirre càl

**EXERCISE 2 Translate into Gàidhlig**
1.Do you like this house? No	2.I would prefer a small house in (air) the country
3.The nurse usually comes at mid-day	4.Does the dog like playing in the park? Yes
5.We can't come to see you tomorrow	6.I ought to hurry else I'll be late
7.Would you prefer sugar in your tea? Yes	8.He would like an other spoonful of sugar please
9.Did you know anyone (a person) at the meeting last night? No	10.My parents are usually home by now
11.Are you able to see the paper? No	12.Were you able to answer the question? Yes

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 1**
1.She says she is thirsty	2.Would they like to go to the cinema?
3.They don't usually go the the pub	4.Do you know that man? No, but I know the other one
5.I didn't know that she knew them	6.She usually walks early in the morning
7.Ought not he go to the doctor? Yes	8.I like this girl but I dislike the other one
9.Can you speak Gàidhlig? Yes	10.Would the boy prefer to be outside? No
11.I think that he dislikes swimming	12.She says that she dislikes cabbage

**ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2**
1.An toil leat an taigh seo? Cha toil	2.B' fheàrr leam taigh beag air an dùthaich
3.'S àbhaist dhan bhanaltram a thighinn aig meadhan-là	4.An toil leis a' chù a bhith a' cluich anns a' phàirc? 'S toil
5.Chan urrainn dhuinn a thighinn gad fhaicinn a-màireach	6.Bu chòir cabhag a bhith orm air neo bidh mi fadalach
7.Am b' fheàrr leibh siùcar nur tì? B' fheàrr	8.Bu toil leis làn-spàin eile de shiùcar mas e ur toil e
9.Am b' aithne dhut duine aig a' choinneimh a-raoir? Cha b' aithne	10.'S àbhaist do mo phàrantan a bhith aig an taigh roimhe seo
11.An urrainn dhut am pàipear fhaicinn? Chan urrainn	12.Am b' urrainn dhut a' cheist a fhreagairt? B' urrainn

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