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Understanding Aimsir Fháistineach: A Complete Guide for Leaving Cert Students

Updated: Feb 17

1. What is Aimsir Fháistineach?

Aimsir Fháistineach is a tense in the Irish language that is used to describe future events or actions. It is formed by adding the appropriate ending to the verb stem, and it is used to express things that are expected or intended to happen in the future. For example, the sentence "Tá sé ag dul go dtí an scoil" (He is going to school) uses the Aimsir Fháistineach tense to describe a future action.



2. How is Aimsir Fháistineach formed?

To form the Aimsir Fháistineach tense, the appropriate ending is added to the verb stem. The endings for regular verbs are as follows:

  1. For first conjugation verbs (verbs ending in -igh), the ending is -fidh. For example, "déan" (do) becomes "déanfaidh" (will do).

  2. For second conjugation verbs (verbs ending in -óg), the ending is -óidh. For example, "céannaigh" (equal) becomes "céannóidh" (will equal).

  3. For third conjugation verbs (verbs ending in -í), the ending is -eoidh. For example, "cuir" (put) becomes "cuirfidh" (will put).

It's important to note that the Aimsir Fháistineach tense is not used with modal verbs (e.g. "caithfidh", "déarfaidh") or with the verb "bí" (be). Instead, these verbs use the Aimsir Láithreach tense to express future events or actions.

3. When is Aimsir Fháistineach used?

The Aimsir Fháistineach tense is typically used to express future events or actions that are expected or intended to happen. This might include things like plans, predictions, or promises. For example, "Beidh mé ag dul go dtí an club ceoil" (I will go to the music club) uses the Aimsir Fháistineach tense to express a future action that the speaker intends to take.


In addition to expressing future events or actions, the Aimsir Fháistineach tense can also be used to express hypothetical or conditional situations. For example, "Déanfaidh sé an méid sin, beidh sé ina bhocht" (If he does that, he will be poor) uses the Aimsir Fháistineach tense to describe a hypothetical situation.




4. Common mistakes to avoid with Aimsir Fháistineach

When using the Aimsir Fháistineach tense, it's important to avoid making common mistakes. Some of the most common mistakes include:

  1. Using the wrong ending: As mentioned above, the ending for the Aimsir Fháistineach tense depends on the conjugation of the verb. Using the wrong ending can change the meaning of the sentence, so it's important to use the correct ending for each verb.

  2. Using the Aimsir Láithreach tense instead: As mentioned above, the Aimsir Láithreach tense is used with modal verbs, and the verb "bí

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