Can they be believed?
An gabh iad creidsinn?
The regular verb gabh can be used as an auxiliary verb in Gaelic to say that something 'can be' or 'could be' done, eaten, believed etc.
When gabh is used in this way it should be used with an unlenited verbal noun:
| An gabh iad creidsinn? | Can they be believed? | (Will they take believing?) |
| Gabhaidh sin ithe. | That can be eaten. | (That will take eating.) |
| Cha ghabhadh fuaim na pìoba cluinntinn. | The sound of the pipes couldn't be heard. | (The sound of the pipe wouldn't take hearing.) |
| Dè ghabhadh dèanamh? | What could be done? | (What would take doing?) |
Remember that we can also use the passive voice in other ways to express a more formal register of speech or a different aspect, the duration or time-scale when something occurred.
Do you remember these sentences?
Why don't you have a go at this task! If you have a Gaelic-speaking friend, you could do this together. If you don't—no problem—you can have double the fun!
Use the correct passive structure with gabh , rach no gam , gad , etc. in these questions, and use the questions to have a conversation.
DÈ DO BHEACHD? | WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Often, philosophers reflect on how our world will be in the future.
After some positive questions and conjunctions, an cruth teachdail dàimheach (the relative future form) must be used.
We learned this at A2 and B1 .
With regular verbs, we lenite the verb and add -(e)as at the end.
| BEACHDAICH!! | CONSIDER! |
| Ciamar a bheachdaicheas …? | How will … consider? |
| Cuin a bheachdaicheas? | When will … consider? |
| Cò bheachdaicheas | Who will … consider? |
| Dè bheachdaicheas? | What will … consider? |
| Ma bheachdaicheas | If … will consider |
| Nuair a bheachdaicheas | When … will consider |
| ITH! | EAT! | EAT! |
| Ciamar a dh'itheas? | How will … eat? |
| Cuin a dh'itheas? | When will … eat? |
| Cò dh'itheas? | Who will … eat? |
| Dè dh'itheas? | What will … eat? |
| Ma dh'itheas | If … will eat |
| Nuair a dh'itheas | When … will eat |
| FÀG! | LEAVE! | LEAVE! |
| Ciamar a dh'fhàgas? | How will … leave? |
| Cuin a dh'fhàgas? | When will … leave? |
| Cò dh'fhàgas? | Who will … leave? |
| Dè dh'fhàgas? | What will … leave? |
| Ma dh'fhàgas | If … will leave |
| Nuair a dh'fhàgas | When … will leave |
Do you remember the irregular verbs?
It is useful to think back to the early examples we learned with tha and a bheil if you are not sure what form to use.
It's well worth looking at 21A Duilleag Mìneachaidh where useful examples are given of the past, future and conditional tenses of the irregular verb faic and the regular verb cuir used with these conjunctions.
Why don't you have a go at this task! If you have a Gaelic-speaking friend, you could do this together. If you don't—no problem—you can have double the fun!
We've given you these question as a starting point.😊