Irish Translation Forum

Hey,

Just have a quick question regarding the Modh Ordaitheach:

Other than the second person and sometimes the first person, does anyone ever use it?

Obviously using the second person is very important and comes up a lot.

To a much lesser to degree, I've seen 'bímis ag ceol' and things like that.

But I can't even figure out where the third person would be used or what it's equal would be in English.

Any ideas?

(The reason I ask it is because I'm making charts of verbs in different tenses and I'm wondering if there is even a point in including the third person and the briathar saor...)

You will find it used in the many every-day uses of Tá in an idiomatic phrase

eg. ná bíodh eagla ort ~ don't be afraid

Marie Antoinnette has a use for it too : itheadh siad cáca (which has subsequently spawned an advertising campaign and a youtube video) [ though being so far south, she may have actually said ithidís ]

English grammarians will tell you there is only a 2nd person imperative although we frequently use "let's" or even "let them". In English, in the absence of a subject, "you" (s/p) is usually implied.

eg. don't let that stop you.

In Irish, it is obviously important that you do not translate these uses of "let" as a form of the verb "allow", missing the correct tense of the verb - imperatiive.

Excellent explanation by 4thG. It's easy to overlook just how often those "weird" forms get used in Irish, because the English version is usually worded quite differently.

brianocuinn wrote:if there is even a point in including the third person and the briathar saor...)

Just a point of interest - I've been using verb-charts to study over the last year and it is actually a pain that the briathar saor is omitted, so from a student's perspective, include all (please..)

Oh - and send me a copy