Irish Translation Forum

scoobytyson wrote:mura is the negative form of má, so wouldn't it be followed by exactly the same structure/tense???

This is what I would think as well (for what my unlearned opinion is worth, I probably am not good enough yet to get involved in these discussions )

scoobytyson wrote:I wouldn't bother with the extra é. I am comparing it to other phrases like Cé dúirt?

I have a question though.

Má dhéanaim é, cé eile a dhéanfaidh? = If I do it, who else will.
má is followed by the present tense here, just like English, although it refers to the future.

mura is the negative form of má, so wouldn't it be followed by exactly the same structure/tense???

Mura ndéanaim féin é, cé a dhéanfaidh?

It is a good question, scooby. All I can say is that in Learning Irish (where I first learnt this construction), Ó Siadhail gives an example in the future tense with mara (Cois Fhairrge variant of mura) side-by-side with an example using má with the present tense, and a note only for má stating "after má, the future is expressed by using the habitual present, e.g. bíonn."

The examples are:

Má bhíonn Máirtín ann, beidh Cáit sásta.
Mara mbeidh Máirtín ann, ní bheidh Cáit sásta.

This would indicate that only má takes the present tense, and that mura (mara) does not. Is the present tense recommended for mura in the CO?

Breandán wrote:This would indicate that only má takes the present tense, and that mura (mara) does not. Is the present tense recommended for mura in the CO?

I just don't know. It doesn't really sound wrong to me, but that could be Béarlachas creeping in. I haven't time to look it up now.

Breandán wrote:Is the present tense recommended for mura in the CO?

No, strictly speaking it should be the future after "mura" (for future events) - unlike "má".