Rach (irregular verb)

From Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

The irregular verb Rach means "to go". rach is one of 11 irregular verbs in Gaelic.

Uses

Summary of forms

  • Independent forms of the verb rach are used without any particles.
  • Dependent forms of the verb rach are used after an, nach, gun and other verbal particles.
  • Unlike regular verbs, the dependent past tense particle do is never used with abair.


context independent Dependent
basic forms active past chaidh deach or deachaidh
Future thèid tèid
Relative Future --- thèid
impersonal1 past chaidheas or rachar deachas or d'rachar
future thèidear tèidear
relative future --- thèidear
Conditional Mood active rachadh2
(rachainn1 in 1st sing)
(rachamaid1 in 1 pl)
impersonal rachte or reighte or dheighte rachte or d'reighte or deighte
Imperative Mood 2nd person singular technically Rach however thalla is more common ---
plural technically rachaibh however thallaibh' is more common1
verbal noun dol

Notes:

  • 1 these forms are not used with any subject, they contain the subject in the inflection of the verb (Pro-Drop)
  • 2 takes tu rather than thu in the 2nd person.

Non Conditional Moods (indicative, interrogative, negative)

Active Voice

Past tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question embedded
1 chaidh mi an deach(aidh) mi cha deach(aidh) mi nach deach(aidh) mi gun deach(aidh) mi
2 chaidh thu an deach(aidh) thu cha deach(aidh) thu nach deach(aidh) thu gun deach(aidh) thu
3 masc chaidh e an deach(aidh) e cha deach(aidh) e nach deach(aidh) e gun deach(aidh) e
3 fem chaidh i an deach(aidh) i cha deach(aidh) i nach deach(aidh) i gun deach(aidh) i
1 pl chaidh sinn an deach(aidh) sinn cha deach(aidh) sinn nach deach(aidh) sinn gun deach(aidh) sinn
2 pl chaidh sibh an deach(aidh) sibh cha deach(aidh) sibh nach deach(aidh) sibh gun deach(aidh) sibh
3 pl chaidh iad an deach(aidh) iad cha deach(aidh) iad nach deach(aidh) iad gun deach(aidh) iad


Present tense

As is common in Gaelic, there is no present tense form of the verb. When a simple present meaning ("I say something") or a progressive meaning (I am saying something) is intended, the periphrastic construction is used with the present tense of the verb bi (be), i.e., tha, along with the verbal noun.

Tha mi a' dol
be.pres 1s prog go
I'm going/I go


Future tense

The future tense in Gaelic is used to express the idea that an event will happen sometime after the speech time. Unlike English, the future tense can also be used with a present tense meaning, to express the idea that an action is habitual.

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question Relative Future1
1 thèid mi an tèid mi cha tèid mi nach tèid mi a thèid mi
2 thèid thu an tèid thu cha tèid thu nach tèid thu a thèid thu
3 masc thèid e an tèid e cha tèid e nach tèid e a thèid e
3 fem thèid i an tèid i cha tèid i nach tèid i a thèid i
1 pl thèid sinn an tèid sinn cha tèid sinn nach tèid sinn a thèid sinn
2 pl thèid sibh an tèid sibh cha tèid sibh nach tèid sibh a thèid sibh
3 pl thèid iad an tèid iad cha tèid iad nach tèid iad a thèid iad

Note:

  1. the relative future is used after certain particles such as ma or the particle used with questions a.



Impersonal/Passive Voice

Gaelic verbs don't technically have a Passive verb form. Instead the passive is typically represented through a periphrastic construction using the verbs Rach or Tha + the passive marker air. It does, however, have an impersonal form. The Impersonal is used to indicate an indeterminate subject. Rachar

Since go is an intransitive verb you'll never find these forms with a pronoun

Past tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
rachar
chaidheas
an d'rachar
an deachas
cha d'rachar
cha deachas
nach d'rachar
nach deachas


Present tense

The use of a passive in the present tense is odd, even in English. We leave this blank here.


Future tense

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question Relative Future1
thèidear an tèidear chan tèidear nach tèidear a thèidear

Notes

  1. the relative future is used after certain particles such as a the particle used with questions, or ma "if".


Conditional Mood

Active

Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
1 rachainn1 an rachainn cha rachainn nach rachainn
2 rachadh tu2 an rachadh tu cha rachadh tu nach rachadh tu
3 masc rachadh e an rachadh e cha rachadh e nach rachadh e
3 fem rachadh i an rachadh i cha rachadh i nach rachadh i
1 pl rachadh sinn (rachamaid3) an rachadh sinn (an rachamaid3) cha rachadh sinn (cha rachamaid3) nach rachadh sinn (nach rachamaid3)
2 pl rachadh sibh an rachadh sibh cha rachadh sibh nach rachadh sibh
3 pl rachadh iad an rachadh iad cha rachadh iad nach rachadh iad

Notes:

  1. The 1st person singular form is never used with an overt pronoun, the verb contains the pronoun already.
  2. The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu
  3. The 1st person plural has a special inflected form, which like the first person singular is never used with a pronoun. This 1st person plural form is rarely used anymore.


passive

!Declarative Question Negative Negative Question
rachte
reighte
dheighte
an rachte
an d'reighte
an deighte
cha rachte
cha d'reighte
cha deighte
nach rachte
nach d'reighte
nach deighte


Imperative Mood

Rach is almost never used as the imperative of 'go'. Instead thalla (meaning "go away") is much more commonly used.

References

  • Black, Ronald (2006) Cothrom Ionnsachaidh Peebles: Self-published.
  • Byrne, Michel (2002) Gràmar na Gàidhlig. Eilean Leòdhais: Stòrlann-Acair.
  • Deiseal Earranta tta (2006) Reference Cards: Sealbhairean Roimhearach/Riochdairean Roimhearach.
  • Mark, Colin (2004) The Gaelic-English Dictionary/Am faclair Gàidhlig-Beurla. London: Routledge
  • Mark, Colin (2006), Gaelic Verbs: Systemised and Simplified" 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Steve Savage Publishers. http://www.savagepublishers.com/138.html
  • Lamb, William (2003) Scottish Gaelic. 2nd edition. Munich: Lingcom Europa